Tokyo, Dec 8
Japan on Monday rejected China's claim that interference by its Self-Defence Forces (SDF) fighter jets during Chinese naval training led to radars being locked on the aircraft.
Addressing media in Tokyo, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that the Air Self-Defence Force jets had kept a "safe distance" from the Chinese military aircraft off Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Saturday, Japan-based Kyodo News reported.
Kihara termed the communication between Chinese and Japanese authorities "extremely important" despite China's retaliatory measures over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's earlier remarks on how Japan could react if Taiwan faces an attack. Takaichi remarked in November that Tokyo could get involved if Taiwan faces an attack from China, which considers the self-ruled island part of its territory.
Minoru Kihara said the radar locks were "dangerous acts beyond what was necessary for the safe flight of aircraft" and that Japan will take all possible air and maritime surveillance measures while closely monitoring the Chinese military's activities.
He called radar locks "dangerous acts beyond what was necessary for the safe flight of aircraft" and said that Japan will take all possible air and maritime surveillance measures while closely monitoring military activities of China.
His remarks came after the Japanese Defence Ministry stated that Chinese J-15 aircraft from the carrier Liaoning locked radar on an ASDF F-15 at about 4:32 pm (local time) on Saturday and on another aircraft at around 6:37 pm (local time) over high seas southeast of Okinawa's main island.
During their exercise in the Pacific, Chinese fighters, helicopters and the carrier Liaoning carried out nearly 100 training takeoffs and landings on Saturday and Sunday, according to Japanese Defence Ministry, sparking fears about a hair-trigger situation.
On Sunday, the Chinese navy said that Japanese aircraft "repeatedly approached and disrupted" the Chinese naval training maritime area and airspace and "endangered flight safety."
On the afternoon of December 7, Japan's Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi summoned Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs detailed that the incident occurred on December 6, over international waters southeast of Okinawa Island when a J-15 fighter jet, that took off from the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier Liaoning, intermittently illuminated a F-15 fighter jet of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force that was conducting airspace violation measures against the J-15 fighter jet.
"It was extremely regrettable that such a dangerous act had occurred, and (Takehiro Funakoshi) expressed strong protest and strictly demanded that it not be repeated," read the statement issued after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government dismissed comments coming out of Tokyo as "irresponsible hype" and "political manipulation".
"We would like to reiterate that the facts are very clear: China's exercises and training activities in the relevant sea and air areas are in accordance with international law and practice, and the relevant operations are professional and beyond reproach. We strongly urge Japan to immediately cease its dangerous actions that interfere with China's normal exercises and training activities, and to stop all irresponsible hype and political manipulation," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun while addressing a daily media briefing in Beijing on Monday.
- IANS
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