Tokyo: Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Friday that he and his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, held a telephonic conversation and shared concern over rising tensions in the region following recent radar lock-on incident involving Japanese and Chinese fighter jets and a joint patrol of Chinese and Russian bombers near Japan, local media reported.
The two ministers spoke for about 40 minutes and agreed that Japan and the US will continue to remain in contact to calm the situation, Japan’s Kyodo News reported.
During the telephonic conversation, Hegseth and Koizumi also spoke about a joint patrol carried out by two Chinese and two Russian bombers over the East China Sea and Pacific near Japan’s Shikoku Island.
Speaking to reporters, Koizumi stated that he and Hegseth agreed that these actions would only increase the tensions in the region.
He expressed Japan’s readiness in responding to these acts in a “calm yet resolute manner, while steadily carrying out surveillance activities in the seas and airspace surrounding our country”.
Koizumi further stated that China has not shared appropriate information with Japan, including notice to air missions or navigational warnings, such as the area in which the Chinese military’s flight training would be carried out. He once again termed the radar lock-on “dangerous” and an action that “went beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft.”
In a statement, the US Department of War said: “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke to his Japanese counterpart, Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, today. The two leaders discussed Japan’s efforts to increase its defense spending and strengthen its capabilities, China’s military activities, and the importance of realistic training and exercises across Japan, including in the Southwest Islands. Secretary Hegseth and Defence Minister Koizumi reaffirmed the importance of the US-Japan Alliance and underscored their commitment to deterring aggression in the Asia-Pacific.”
On the afternoon of December 7, Japan’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi summoned Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the incident occurred on December 6, over international waters southeast of Okinawa Island, when a J-15 fighter jet, which took off from the Chinese Navy’s aircraft carrier Liaoning, intermittently illuminated a F-15 fighter jet of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force that was conducting airspace violation measures against it.
“It was extremely regrettable that such a dangerous act had occurred, and (Takehiro Funakoshi) expressed strong protest and strictly demanded that it not be repeated,” as per a statement issued after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government dismissed comments coming out of Tokyo as “irresponsible hype” and “political manipulation”.
“We would like to reiterate that the facts are very clear: China’s exercises and training activities in the relevant sea and air areas are in accordance with international law and practice, and the relevant operations are professional and beyond reproach. We strongly urge Japan to immediately cease its dangerous actions that interfere with China’s normal exercises and training activities, and to stop all irresponsible hype and political manipulation,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun while addressing a daily media briefing in Beijing on Monday.
(IANS)
