Japan, US defence chiefs cover radar row and other China tensions in phone call
Washington and Tokyo share ‘serious concerns’ about regional security, reaffirm commitment to alliance
“The two sides stated serious concerns about any actions that heighten tensions in the region, expressing that China’s actions do not contribute to peace and stability in the region,” the ministry said.
Koizumi added that Japan did not seek escalation, was responding calmly while making necessary rebuttals and was keeping the door open for dialogue, according to the ministry.
The pair agreed to maintain close communication and coordination between Tokyo and Washington and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the alliance’s deterrence and response capabilities with continued urgency, it said.
02:49
China reveals radio communications heard before mid-air stand-off with Japanese fighters
According to Tokyo, there were two incidents on Saturday in international airspace near Japan’s Okinawa islands in which Chinese J-15 aircraft locked fire-control radar onto Japanese F-15 jets – a prelude to directing weapons towards a target for a potential attack.