Japan denounces that a Chinese fighter fixed its radar on Japanese planes

MADRID, December 7 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Japanese government has denounced the fact that a Chinese J-15 fighter jet aimed its radar at a Japanese military aircraft near Okinawa in the East China Sea twice in the past day, an event that Tokyo called “dangerous” and “extremely regrettable” and which led Japan’s Defense Ministry to demand that China prevent it from happening again.

“We would like to report the incident in which a Chinese military aircraft illuminated a Japanese Self-Defense Force aircraft with radar. There were two radars. First, between 4:32 p.m. and 4:35 p.m. (local time) on Saturday, December 6, over international waters southeast of Okinawa Island… Second, between 6:37 p.m. and 7:08 p.m. on the same day, over international waters southeast of (the same) island,” the Japanese reported. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

The Defense Ministry said both actions – carried out with F-15 fighter jets – exceeded the range necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft, which also represents a violation of Japanese airspace.

“Turning on the radar constitutes a dangerous act that exceeds the range necessary for the safe flight of the aircraft. We deeply regret that such an incident occurred and we have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese side, strongly requesting that its repetition be avoided,” Koizumi added at a press conference during which he confirmed that neither the aircraft nor its personnel had suffered any damage.

Thus, the Minister of Defense stressed that the surveillance and tracking of Chinese aircraft by Japanese forces was carried out in a strictly defensive manner and defended that Japan had not carried out any provocative actions in the area.

The incident occurred amid growing tensions between the two countries. Japan and China have had disagreements following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statements about the possibility of military intervention in Taiwan if the Chinese government attacked the island.

The words of the ultra-conservative Japanese politician, who took office in October, even led the Chinese consul in Osaka, Xue Jian, to publish a message which was later deleted and in which he bet to “cut the dirty throat” of the prime minister, whom he accused of “throwing himself” on the Chinese authorities “without a single hesitation”.

As it stands, diplomatic efforts in recent weeks have not borne fruit and China has already implemented some measures such as discouraging its citizens from visiting Japan, suspending imports of Japanese seafood and paralyzing the entry of new Japanese films.