Japan and Australia Urge Restraint After Chinese Fighter Locks Radar on Japanese Jets

Japan and Australia Call For Calm After Radar Lock Incident

Japan and Australia urged restraint Sunday after a Chinese J-15 fighter intermittently locked its radar onto Japanese F-15 fighters near Okinawa — an episode Tokyo formally protested as dangerous and unnecessary for routine flight operations.

Formal Protest: Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tokyo lodged a strong protest with Beijing, calling the radar lock "an extremely regrettable" and "dangerous" act that "exceeded the scope necessary for safe aircraft operations." He said Japan has demanded that China put strict measures in place to prevent similar incidents.

What Happened: Japan’s Defense Ministry reported that a J-15 launched from the carrier Liaoning near the southern island of Okinawa on Saturday and intermittently engaged its radar against Japanese F-15s on two occasions — about three minutes in the late afternoon and roughly 30 minutes in the evening. The ministry did not specify whether the same J-15 was involved both times. Japanese jets had been scrambled to shadow Chinese aircraft conducting takeoff and landing drills and maintained a safe distance; there was no violation of Japanese airspace and no injuries or damage reported.

"We have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese side and demanded strict preventive measures," Koizumi said.

China's Response: Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng, a spokesperson for the Chinese navy, defended the exercises near Miyako Island, saying Beijing announced the drills in advance and accusing the Japanese aircraft of "harassment." Wang warned that the Chinese navy would take lawful measures to protect its security and interests, according to a statement posted on the Chinese Ministry of Defense website.

Regional Context: Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have risen since Japan’s leader, Sanae Takaichi, said in early November that Japan’s military could become involved if China acted against Taiwan — the self-governing island Beijing claims. The incident adds to wider strategic concerns in the region about routine interactions between military aircraft and ships.

Japan-Australia Coordination: Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, who met Koizumi in Tokyo, expressed deep concern about the incident and said interactions between military aircraft should be "safe and professional." Japan and Australia agreed to deepen military cooperation and to develop a comprehensive "framework for strategic defense coordination," continuing talks on details as they seek to lead multilateral defense cooperation in the region. Marles also visited a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki to inspect the Mogami-class frigate Australia selected in September.

Other Developments: The Philippine coast guard reported that Chinese forces fired three flares toward a Philippines fisheries bureau patrol plane over the South China Sea on Saturday — a tactic China sometimes uses to warn aircraft away from areas it regards as its airspace in disputed waters.

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.