China releases audio to show it told Japan of drill in radar incident

The Chinese military on Dec 9 released audio data indicating it had notified Japan of a planned carrier-based aircraft flight training prior to a weekend incident in which radar was locked on Japanese fighter jets, further heightening bilateral tensions.

- 

Tokyo has strongly protested over the Dec 6 action by the Chinese military aircraft on Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) fighters southeast of Okinawa’s main island, but Beijing has lodged a counterprotest, claiming that “frequent close-in reconnaissance and disruptions” by Japanese jets caused the security risk.

Japan maintains that its jets kept a “safe distance” from Chinese military aircraft, with Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also disputing the Chinese navy’s claim that training areas were announced in advance.