Japan–US Defense Chiefs Say China Radar Incident Damaging to Regional Stability

Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs have publicly agreed that a recent military incident involving Chinese fighter jet radar tracking Japanese aircraft was harmful to peace and security in the Asia‑Pacific. The comments come amid intensifying strategic competition in the region and ongoing diplomatic friction between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke this week to reaffirm their concerns over the event, during which Chinese military aircraft reportedly locked fire‑control radar onto Japanese Air Self‑Defense Force jets near Okinawa. Both leaders described the episode as “damaging” to regional peace and stability and underscored the importance of military communication and cooperation between Tokyo and Washington.

The radar incident has become a flashpoint in already‑strained relations between Japan and China. Tokyo has lodged formal protests, calling the radar locks “dangerous” and exceeding what is necessary for routine training, urging Beijing to avoid similar behavior in the future. China, for its part, rejects these accusations. Beijing claims its training flights complied with international law and directly blames Japanese aircraft for close approaches that disrupted its exercises.

For Washington, the dispute highlights broader strategic concerns. The U.S. State Department has condemned the radar locking as “not conducive to regional peace and stability”, while reaffirming the strength of the U.S.–Japan security alliance and its commitment to Japan’s defense. This marks one of the most forceful public statements from Washington to date in backing Tokyo’s position.

The incident also comes against the backdrop of wider military activity in the region. Japanese jets were scrambled recently to monitor joint Chinese‑Russian air patrols, and allied forces have conducted training flights to demonstrate readiness. Both Tokyo and Washington have emphasized deterrence and vigilance without escalating military confrontation.