Japan, China Spar Over Military Jet Encounters
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed that a Chinese Navy vessel had contacted a Japanese warship, but emphasized that Tokyo was “not provided with any concrete information on what scale” the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning’s aircraft would “conduct training or in what airspace.”
Koizumi defended Japan’s response to the Chinese fighters launched from the Liaoning, calling the scrambling of Japanese jets a “necessary” and “appropriate” action on X, the social media platform. He also stressed the need for continued communication with Chinese forces.
The latest tensions trace back to a confrontation over the weekend when Chinese and Japanese jets engaged over the high seas southeast of Okinawa.
The defense minister’s remarks followed the release on Tuesday of an audio clip capturing radio exchanges between the two militaries prior to the Liaoning’s flight exercises.
“This is China Navy warship 101. Our formation organizes shipboard aircraft flight training as planned. Over,” a man’s voice is heard saying in both Chinese and English, according to media.
“Chinese warship 101, this is Japan warship 116. I copy your message,” a female voice responded in English, the report added.
Tokyo has said Chinese J-15 jets from the Liaoning locked radar onto two ASDF F-15 fighters over international waters, with Koizumi labeling the event as “dangerous.”
Beijing has dismissed Japan’s account and the diplomatic protest filed by Tokyo, claiming that Japanese jets “harassed” Chinese forces.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun defended the maneuvers on Wednesday, stating that training in the waters and airspace concerned was “completely in line with international law and model practices.”
“The maneuvers are professional, secure, restraint and beyond dispute,” Guo said at a Beijing news conference.
“The Japanese side claimed that it has not received notification of China. Now it acknowledged it has received the Chinese information in advance, which is contradictory,” he added.
On Sunday, the Chinese navy accused Japanese aircraft of “repeatedly approach[ing] and disrupt[ing]” its training area and airspace, asserting that the jets “seriously endangered flight safety.”
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
