Japan Summons China Envoy Over Fighter Jet ‘Radar Lock’ Incident As Tensions Escalate

Last Updated:December 08, 2025, 16:47 IST

Locking radar onto an aircraft signals a potential attack and can force the targeted plane to take evasive action.

Chinese J-15 fighter jets fly in formation over Beijing. (File/AP)

Japan summoned China’s ambassador in Tokyo to lodge a strong protest over what it described as a Chinese military aircraft locking its fire-control radar onto a Japanese fighter jets, as tensions between the two countries surge.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that the protest was lodged over what it described as the dangerous and “extremely regrettable” conduct of Chinese J-15 fighter jets over international waters southeast of Okinawa’s main island a day earlier.

It said fighter jets from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier locked radar onto Japanese aircraft that had been scrambled to track the vessel, a claim the Chinese embassy has denied.

Locking radar onto an aircraft signals a potential attack and can force the targeted plane to take evasive action, making it one of the most threatening moves a military jet can make.

Ambassador Wu Jianghao’s summon came amid deeply strained relations between Beijing and Tokyo since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said last month that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan – suggesting that Tokyo would intervene militarily.

Takaichi’s remarks, made after he took office in October, have infuriated Beijing and triggered a sharp diplomatic standoff.

Beijing has summoned Japan’s ambassador, filed a complaint with the United Nations, advised its citizens against travelling to Japan and extended its ban on Japanese seafood imports, while cultural events featuring Japanese artists and films have also been affected.

News world Japan Summons China Envoy Over Fighter Jet ‘Radar Lock’ Incident As Tensions Escalate

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