Japan summons China envoy over fighter aircraft incident

Tokyo has summoned Beijing’s ambassador after Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets, the latest incident in the row ignited after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments backing Taiwan.

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Takaichi suggested last month that Japan would intervene militarily in any Chinese attack on the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own and which it has not ruled out seizing by force.

J-15 jets from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier on Saturday twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft in international waters near Okinawa, according to Japan.

No damage or injury was caused, but it was the first time that Japan had disclosed such an incident.

Fighter jets use their radar for fire control to identify targets as well as for search and rescue operations.

Japan had scrambled its F-15 jets because it was worried about possible "airspace violations", chief government spokesman Minoru Kihara said Monday.