Abe calls radar-locking incident on high seas 'regrettable and dangerous'
Analysts unsure whether Chinese ships locking radar on Japanese was response or provocation
Analysts have questioned whether the Chinese frigates that allegedly aimed weapons-targeting radar at a Japanese destroyer and a helicopter last month were being provocative or responding to unannounced threats.
Tokyo said yesterday the incidents were "extremely regrettable and dangerous", but the Defence Ministry in Beijing remained silent on Japan's accusation, first aired on Tuesday.
The latest spat has led to further doubts that the two nations can peacefully resolve their territorial dispute in the East China Sea over the Diaoyu Islands, called the Senkakus in Japan, regardless of Beijing's motives.
Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Tuesday that a Chinese frigate directed fire-control radar at a Japanese destroyer in the East China Sea on January 30. A similar incident involving a Japanese helicopter occurred on January 19.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Beijing's move was dangerous and could have led to an unpredictable situation.
The move possibly resulted in a miscalculation of each other's intentions
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said yesterday she was "not aware of the specifics" of the incident, and the Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.