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CHINA has accused Japan of provoking military tensions and warned that Tokyo’s threats are “completely unacceptable,” following a recent incident in which Chinese fighter jets reportedly targeted Japanese military aircraft with radar, a claim disputed by Japan.
Speaking in Beijing with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticised Japan for its posture on Taiwan, invoking historical context.
“Given that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, Japan, as a defeated nation, should have acted with greater caution,” Wang said, according to Xinhua.
He added, “Yet now, its current leader is trying to exploit the Taiwan question — the very territory Japan colonised for half a century, committing countless crimes against the Chinese people — to provoke trouble and threaten China militarily. This is completely unacceptable.”
The diplomatic spat follows warnings from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Japan could respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan that also threatened Japan’s security. Relations between the two countries have further soured in recent weeks.
China has justified the radar activity, claiming Japanese aircraft repeatedly approached and disrupted Chinese naval exercises east of the Miyako Strait, where carrier-based flight training had been announced in advance. Japan, however, has described the encounter as dangerous.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters, “The intermittent illumination of radar beams is a dangerous act that goes beyond what is safe and necessary,” and he declined to confirm reports that Beijing had not responded to calls on the bilateral hotline established in 2018.
Wang also addressed Taiwan’s status, asserting that sovereignty over the island belongs to the People’s Republic of China as the successor state to the Republic of China, citing “ironclad historical and legal facts.”
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s claims, pointing out that the People’s Republic did not exist in 1945 and has never ruled the island.
The confrontation underscores the persistent friction over Taiwan, historical grievances stemming from Japan’s colonial rule from 1895 to 1945, and the potential for military escalation in the East China Sea. - December 9, 2025