A Chinese aircraft carrier strike group conducted intense air operations near Japan over the weekend. The operations took place in waters near Japan’s southwest archipelago days after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said last month that Tokyo could respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan that also poses a threat to Japanese security.
China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning made about 100 takeoffs and landings as it moved east into the Pacific Ocean, past the Okinawa Islands, over the weekend, according to the Self-Defense Forces.
Tokyo summoned Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao on Sunday (7) to protest what he called dangerous and regrettable behavior, saying Liaoning fighters had aimed radar beams at Japanese planes deployed to accompany a ship the day before.
Activation of radar on an aircraft indicates the possibility of an attack, which may force the target to perform evasive maneuvers.
The Chinese embassy rejected the accusations, saying Japanese planes were endangering flight safety by approaching the aircraft carrier, which was escorted by three guided-missile destroyers.
“China solemnly demands that Japan stop defamation and slander, strictly limit its front-line actions, and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents,” the embassy said in a statement.
The official Japanese government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, refuted the Chinese version, saying that the Japanese planes did not compromise the safety of operations.
Japan “will respond calmly but firmly and continue to monitor the movements of Chinese forces in the country’s waters,” he said at a press conference.
Takaichi’s statements led Beijing to advise its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. Tokyo in turn suspended the resumption of imports of seafood products, previously interrupted after the country released treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, damaged by fires.
China claims Taiwan, which has an independent government, and has stepped up military and political pressure on the island, whose government rejects Beijing’s territorial claims.
Taiwan, a former Japanese colony, is located just 110 km from the westernmost island of the Okinawa archipelago.
Japan is home to the largest concentration of U.S. military forces overseas, including thousands of Marines stationed in Okinawa.
The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo did not respond to requests for comment on Japanese allegations about China’s use of radar.
The US ambassador to Japan, George Glass, has expressed support for Tokyo in the conflict, although President Donald Trump – who plans to visit Beijing next year for trade talks – has remained silent.
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