Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused Japan of threatening China militarily, calling the actions “completely unacceptable,” following an incident in which Japan claimed Chinese fighter jets targeted its aircraft with radar.
Wang made the remarks during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Beijing, as tensions between the two nations have escalated over Taiwan and military encounters near the Miyako Strait.
Japan has denounced the radar incident as dangerous, while China contends that Japanese aircraft repeatedly approached and disrupted its navy during previously announced carrier-based flight training east of the strait.
Relations have become increasingly strained since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that Japan could respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan if it threatened Japan’s security.
Wang criticized Japan’s leadership for exploiting the Taiwan issue, which he described as historically colonized by Japan from 1895 to 1945. He emphasized that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, and as a “defeated nation,” Japan should have exercised caution.
Wang said Japan’s recent remarks on Taiwan were reckless and that China’s sovereignty over the island is “unequivocally and irreversibly affirmed by a series of ironclad historical and legal facts.”
Taiwan’s government rejected Beijing’s claims, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei stating that the island has never been ruled by the People’s Republic of China and that only its democratically elected government can represent Taiwan internationally.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reiterated that intermittent radar illumination of Japanese jets constitutes a dangerous act exceeding safe operational limits. He declined to confirm reports that Beijing had not responded to calls on a bilateral hotline established in 2018.
The incident underscores rising regional tensions over Taiwan and military posturing in East Asia, with both countries maintaining conflicting narratives on sovereignty, historical claims, and acceptable military conduct in the contested airspace. Wang’s comments to Germany signal Beijing’s intent to frame Japan’s actions as provocative while reinforcing China’s long-standing position on Taiwan.
