China accused of targeting Japanese jets in ‘deeply concerning’ incident
Japan accuses China of major military escalation
- Tokyo says Chinese fighter jets repeatedly locked onto Japanese military aircraft with fire-control radar in two separate incidents on Saturday.
- Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, condemned the alleged actions as "dangerous acts" and lodged a strong protest with China.
- The incidents involved Chinese J-15 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Liaoning allegedly targeting Japanese F-15s over international waters southeast of Japan's Okinawa island chain.
- China denied Japan's claims, stating Japanese aircraft had repeatedly approached and disrupted their previously announced carrier-based flight training.
- This marks a significant military escalation between the two nations, occurring amidst heightened tensions following remarks by Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan.