Chinese military aircraft are said to have targeted Japanese fighter jets using special target tracking radar.
Dec 7, 2025, 6:04 amDec 7, 2025, 6:04 am
The Chinese aircraft used their so-called fire control radar in two cases on Saturday near the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa, Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at a press conference. He called the incidents “dangerous and extremely regrettable.” Japan strongly protested and called on China to ensure that something like this does not happen again. There was initially no statement from Beijing.
Two Japanese jets in front of Mount Fuji. (Illustrated symbol image)Image: keystone
The incidents occurred against the backdrop of an escalating dispute between the two neighboring countries over statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan. Takaichi said in parliament at the beginning of November that a Chinese attack on democratic Taiwan would constitute an “existence-threatening situation” for Japan, which could lead to Japan exercising its right to self-defense.
China is increasing pressure on Japan
Beijing is demanding that Takaichi retract her statements and increased the pressure with, among other things, travel warnings, canceled flight connections and a ban on imports of Japanese seafood. Japan’s plan to station missiles on the island of Yonaguni, just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, also met with clear criticism from the Chinese government. China’s foreign office said Japan was deliberately creating tension in the region.
According to the Japanese news agency Kyodo, China’s navy conducted training flights in the Pacific on Saturday. They took off from an aircraft carrier after the ship passed the waters off Okinawa. This prompted Japan’s military to launch fighter jets. Based on the distance between the Japanese and Chinese planes, a defense ministry official in Tokyo said Japan had done nothing that could be considered a provocation, according to Kyodo. (sda/dpa)