Rising Tensions: Japan Protests After Chinese Jets Lock Radar on Its Aircraft

Sat Dec 20 2025 10:30:42 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Amid escalating tensions between Japan and China, Japan has issued a protest after two incidents where Chinese fighter jets locked their radar onto Japanese planes near the Okinawa islands. This action is seen as a significant military threat, reflecting deteriorating diplomatic relations.

Japan has protested against China after Chinese J-15 fighter jets locked their radars onto Japanese military aircraft near Okinawa, Japan on Saturday. Japan responded by scrambling fighter jets. This incident marks an increase in military tensions as diplomatic relations sour over issues including Taiwan. Japan condemned the radar locking as threatening, while China dismissed Japan's claims as unfounded. The situation is compounded by earlier strained interactions over fishing rights and military exercises in disputed areas.

Japan has protested after Chinese fighter jets locked radars on Japanese aircraft as tensions between the two nations worsened.

Locking radar onto an aircraft is considered a threat because it can signal a potential attack. Japan said there were two such incidents Saturday off its southern Okinawa islands.

Japan said it scrambled fighter jets in response to the Chinese J-15 fighter jets, while Beijing accused Tokyo of harassing its forces during a training exercise. No injuries or damage were reported.

Diplomatic ties between Japan and China have spiraled since last month, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.

Beijing views self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to reunite with it.

Both sides have since engaged in increasingly hostile rhetoric towards each other, with the widening rift affecting daily life for citizens in both countries.

A Japanese defence ministry official stated that the intention of the Chinese J-15 jets was unclear, saying there was no need to lock on to the Japanese planes if their intention was merely to locate other aircraft.

The J-15 jets, which were launched from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier, first locked their radar on Japanese jets at 16:32 local time on Saturday (07:32 GMT) and again at around 18:37.

Japan's government has expressed serious concerns over this action and is seeking measures to prevent further incidents.

Furthermore, the increasing animosity has led China to ask its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan and has resulted in bans on Japanese seafood imports and halting the screening of popular Japanese films in China.