Overview
- Tokyo says a Chinese carrier-borne J-15 intermittently illuminated a JASDF F-15 twice on Dec. 6 over international waters southeast of Okinawa, once for about three minutes and later for roughly 30 minutes.
- China’s foreign ministry frames the radar use as normal search during carrier flight training, a characterization Japan disputes as inconsistent with safety practices.
- Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi states there was no NOTAM or navigation warning for the Liaoning’s training area and rejects claims that Japanese aircraft interfered with Chinese operations.
- Reports indicate Japan–China defense hotlines and the sea–air contact mechanism were effectively not used, as the Liaoning group continued activity with about 100 launch and recovery operations over Dec. 6–7.
- Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki sought detailed information from the central government and warned the incident risks raising regional tensions, urging calm and diplomatic efforts.