Beijing has hit back with “counter-protests” against Japan’s representations over the weekend mid-air military stand-off northeast of Taiwan near the Miyako Strait, accusing Tokyo of “purely ill-intentioned” rhetoric.
The escalation of the diplomatic clash showed that tensions between the two neighbours continue to heighten following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in November over Taiwan.
According to Japan’s defence ministry, there were two separate instances of radar targeting of its F-15J jets on Saturday, involving J-15 fighters launched from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier.
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Why have Takaichi’s Taiwan comments sent China-Japan ties into a tailspin?
Why have Takaichi’s Taiwan comments sent China-Japan ties into a tailspin?
The first incident happened between 4.32pm and 4.35pm local time over international airspace southeast of Okinawa’s main island, while the second occurred between 6.37pm and 7.08pm, it said.
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Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday labelled the incidents as a “dangerous act” beyond the scope of safe flight operations, adding that Tokyo had formally protested to Beijing.
In a statement issued on Sunday night, the Chinese foreign ministry pushed back, saying that Japan’s fighter jets had taken frequent close-in reconnaissance and disruptions of China’s normal military activities, which it described as “the biggest maritime and air security risk”.
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“China does not accept the so-called protest from the Japanese side and has rejected it on the spot and lodged counter-protests in Beijing and in Tokyo,” it said.