Japan accuses Chinese jets of hostile acts near Okinawa

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi reported that Chinese military planes 'locked onto' the radar of some Japanese fighter jets off the coast of Okinawa yesterday, denouncing the incidents as 'dangerous and extremely regrettable'.

Tokyo has lodged a 'strong protest' with Beijing following the incidents, which caused no casualties or damage, Koizumi said at a hastily organised press conference this morning. According to the minister, "a J-15 fighter jet that took off from the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning intermittently activated its radar" to lock onto a Japanese F-15 fighter jet that had attempted to intercept it, the ministry said in a note. A similar incident involving another Chinese Liaoning aircraft and another Japanese plane occurred about two hours later, the ministry added, denouncing 'a dangerous act that goes beyond what is necessary for flight safety'. A 'lock-on' is the action by which the radar of a military aircraft stops scanning the sky and starts tracking a specific target in order to obtain a firing solution.

Modern fighter jets are equipped with systems that can detect when they are targeted in this way. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo have risen since the new Japanese premier, Sanae Takaichi, suggested in November that her country might intervene militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan. Since then, several incidents involving Japanese and Chinese ships have occurred in the East China Sea near the Senkaku Islands - called Diaoyu by the Chinese - administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing.

The Australian government, whose Defence Minister Richard Marles is visiting Japan, has also commented on the incidents reported by Tokyo. After a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Koizumi, Marles said he was 'deeply concerned about China's actions over the past 24 hours'. He added that Canberra has 'stabilised' its relationship with China by 'acting clearly, consistently, calmly and sensibly'