 "Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping. AFP File")
A day after Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi accused the Chinese fighter jets of directing fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft during two separate incidents, Tokyo summoned China’s ambassador.
The political relationship between Tokyo and Beijing worsens following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan remark. Takaichi suggested that any Chinese attack on Taiwan would be intervened by Japan.
Taiwan is a small self-ruled island nation which Beijing claims as its own. J-15 jets from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier on Saturday twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft in international waters near Okinawa, according to Japan. No damage or injury was caused.
China’s navy has continuously regained a stiff stance against Tokyo and stated that Tokyo’s claim was “completely inconsistent with the facts” and told Japan to “immediately stop slandering and smearing”.
Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi summoned ambassador Wu Jianghao on Sunday and “made a strong protest that such dangerous acts are extremely regrettable”.
“Japan will respond calmly”
Takaichi on Sunday said that Japan would “respond calmly and resolutely.”
“While closely monitoring the movements of the Chinese military in the sea and airspace surrounding our country, we will ensure thorough vigilance and surveillance activities in the surrounding sea and airspace,” she further added.
A foreign ministry spokesperson, cited by Xinhua, urged Japan to “immediately stop its dangerous moves of harassing China’s normal military exercise and training”.
China’s coast guard said a Japanese fishing vessel “illegally entered China’s territorial waters” and that its vessels took “necessary control measures and made warnings to drive it away”.
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China has urged its citizens to avoid Japan as they are the biggest source of tourists. The cultural events and programs have been hit the hardest as relations between the two two the hardest.
China has so far imposed serious economic measures such as curbing exports of rare earth materials.