Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the country will "respond calmly and resolutely" after China’s military aircraft locked radar twice on Japanese fighter jets near Okinawa on Saturday. The Japanese Defence Ministry confirmed Chinese J-15 fighters from the Liaoning carrier locked radar on Japanese F-15 jets at 4:32 pm and again two hours later. No visual confirmation or damage occurred. This is the first public disclosure of such an incident by Japan’s defence ministry. Radar locks are used to identify targets and perform search operations. China’s navy denied the claims, calling them "completely inconsistent with the facts," and accused Japan’s jets of endangering flight safety by entering Chinese training zones. China’s foreign ministry called on Japan to "stop its dangerous moves of harassing China’s normal military exercise." The incidents come amid rising tensions over Taiwan, following Takaichi’s statement that Japan might deploy self-defence forces if a conflict threatens the country. This drew a call from former US President Donald Trump to avoid escalation. Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the radar lock incidents "dangerous and extremely regrettable." On Sunday, China’s ambassador Wu Jianghao was summoned by Japan, where a strong protest was made urging China to prevent such actions in the future. Tokyo and Beijing continue to dispute territory around the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands between Okinawa and Taiwan. Japan is strengthening defense ties with US allies in Asia-Pacific amid China’s broad maritime claims, including the South China Sea. The tension highlights the fragile security balance in the region. (Source: Agence France-Presse)