JAPAN DID NOT IMPEDE CHINESE AIRCRAFT – Japan disputes China’s claims over the fighter jet incident
Japan disputed China’s characterisation of a weekend incident involving the two countries’ military aircraft, saying its Self-Defence Forces had not disrupted the Chinese navy’s flight training as claimed by Beijing.
“The Chinese side’s claim that the SDF aircraft seriously impeded the safe flight of the Chinese aircraft is unfounded,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a briefing on Monday.
Kihara’s comments came after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters on Sunday, December 7th that Chinese fighter jets had aimed their radar at Japanese military aircraft near Japan’s Okinawa islands, an account Beijing disputed.
A Chinese carrier strike group launched intense air operations near Japan over the weekend as the East Asian neighbours traded diplomatic barbs in an escalating dispute, further straining ties.
The Chinese embassy denied Tokyo’s claims, saying Japanese aircraft had endangered flight safety by approaching China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier as it trained with three missile-destroyer escorts.
The encounters in waters close to Japan’s southwest island chain come after Takaichi warned last month that Tokyo could respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan that also threatened Japan’s security.
