Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi denounced this Sunday (local time) a clash between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets southeast of Okinawa, and said that his country has lodged a protest with China over the incident, which left no one injured.

First modification: 07/12/2025 - 01:27

In a message on his X social network account during the early hours, the minister detailed that two Chinese fighter jets used their radar against two Japanese military aircraft this Saturday, "over international waters southeast of the island of Okinawa."

"In this case, the illumination of the radar constitutes a dangerous act that exceeds the range necessary for a safe flight of the aircraft. We deeply regret that such an incident has occurred and we have submitted a strong protest to the Chinese side," said the official.

There was no damage to the aircraft or pilots, Koizumi added.

The incident occurs at a time of tension between Tokyo and Beijing following comments last month by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who said that a Chinese military attack on Taiwan could justify an intervention by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (Army).

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Beijing responded with measures of economic and cultural pressure, including travel warnings to Japan, a ban on imports of Japanese seafood, and the halting of licenses for films and concerts from the neighboring country.

This Friday, Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara said that his country is following "with great interest" the information about a significant mobilization of dozens of Chinese ships in East Asian waters, in the midst of an escalation of diplomatic tension.

Although he avoided commenting on the veracity of the information, Kihara's comment was seen by media in the archipelago as an expression of concern.

Just this Friday, China's Defense Ministry declared that Japan will "face public outrage" and face "accountability in the face of history," in response to the country's plans to raise its defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP).

(EFE)

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