Chinese Foreign Ministry

Chinese foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed Japanese side for its inconsistent statements regarding its hype of so-called "radar illumination" by a Chinese warplane, criticizing Japan for deliberately attempting to divert attention and mislead the international community. 

The Japanese side's contradictory statements have also triggered questions from home, with some people in Japan demanding the resignation of Japanese defense chief and even Takaichi cabinet.

"Yesterday, the Japanese side said they received no prior notification of China's flight drill. Today, they admitted that they did receive the information beforehand. In addition to that inconsistency, the Japanese side continues to beat around the bush without explaining why they sent warplanes into China's pre-announced exercise zones and repeatedly engaged in hostile surveillance and disruptive maneuvers to create a crisis situation and generate media hypes," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

Yuyuantantian, a social media account affiliated to China's state broadcaster China Central Television, reported on Tuesday that China provided on-site notifications to the Japanese vessels in the nearby waters in advance, and the Japanese warship confirmed receipt via radio communication.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi admitted that the Chinese side made notifications about the start of flight training, but he claimed that the notifications provided insufficient information about the scale or area, according to a report by Japanese media outlet Sankei Shimbun on Wednesday.

At the press conference on Wednesday, Guo said such inconsistency proves that it was Japan who first deliberately made harassment and then spread disinformation. The Japanese side is the provocateur responsible for orchestrating this political stunt, Guo said.

Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the root cause of the incident is the intrusion of Japanese fighter jets into the Chinese side's legitimate training area, and the Japanese side is resorting to sophistry to misguide the public.

He noted that the Chinese notifications gave detailed information about the location and duration, which are completely professional and conform to international common practices.

Wang said that fighter jet uses search radar to gain situational awareness like people's eyes, so it is completely normal to use search radar. Japan's hype over the Chinese side's use of search radar is completely unjustifiable, and is a move of being a perpetrator blaming the victim.

According to the Yuyuantantian report, at 2:10 pm on Saturday, the Liaoning formation organized the Warship 101 to issue a notification with the message: "Our formation organizes shipborne aircraft flight training as planned." The Japanese destroyer Teruzuki confirmed receipt of the Chinese notification via radio. 

Then at 2:28 pm, the Liaoning formation organized the Warship 101 to issue another, more detailed notification: "Our formation plans to conduct carrier-based aircraft flight training, expected to commence at 3 pm, lasting approximately 6 hours, primarily in the area south of the aircraft carrier. Subsequently, the Japanese destroyer Teruzuki once again confirmed receipt of our notification via radio.''

The Japanese Defense Minister also claimed that the incident was not about whether there were notifications beforehand, but about the "radar illumination," according to the Sankei Shimbun report.

Wang noted that search radar only enables vague detection. He stressed that China's use of search radar is completely up to standard and does not pose any danger.

The root cause of the incident is the Japanese side's approach and harassment on the Chinese side's normal and legitimate training, rather than what the Japanese side has claimed, Wang said.

On the other hand, Japan is the one that has previous conviction of using fire control radar to illuminate Chinese aircraft. On June 17, 2016, two Chinese Su-30 fighter jets conducted a routine patrol in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone when two Japanese F-15 fighter jets approached at high speed in a provocative manner and even activated their fire control radars to illuminate the Chinese aircraft, the Chinese Defense Ministry said at the time. It noted that the PLA aircraft responded resolutely with tactical maneuvers and other measures, prompting the Japanese jets to flee after releasing infrared decoy flares. Such provocative actions by Japanese aircraft are highly likely to trigger aerial accidents, endanger the safety of personnel on both sides, and undermine regional peace and stability, said the Chinese Defense Ministry then.

Mounting pressure 

The developments in the "radar illumination" issue have attracted widespread attention within Japan amid strained China-Japan ties, with many media outlets covering China's releasing on-site audio about the Chinese side's notifications. 

Akira Sato, Japanese commentator and a former Asahi Shimbun journalist, posted multiple tweets regarding the issue from Tuesday to Wednesday. "Regarding the 'illumination' incident, it seems that the Chinese side's account was correct. At the very least, Shinjiro Koizumi's resignation is unavoidable. In fact, from the root cause, the entire Takaichi cabinet should resign," Sato commented on Tuesday night. 

On Wednesday Sato tweeted again, saying that "The truth is partially coming to light," reiterating that Koizumi's contradictory statements on the incident is "a matter that warrants resignation."

Relevant Sato's tweets from Tuesday to Wednesday have received more than 3 million views as of press time. The topic "prior notification" was also trending in Japan on X on Wednesday.

Some Japanese netizens also commented on the latest developments. For example, a Japanese netizen @kemuchiman on Wednesday wrote that "Since China has released the audio data, the Japanese government has a duty to provide an explanation. If it is fabricated, concrete evidence must be presented to refute it. If it is genuine, then Koizumi's statements would constitute falsehoods and a clear deception of the public, warranting not only his resignation but that of the entire cabinet. The Takaichi cabinet must provide a clear explanation - evading answers is unacceptable."

Aichi Peace Committee, a 1949-founded Japanese NGO, reposted a report on China's auto recording and said in a post on X that if this is true, it means they were falsely stirring up public opinion. "Not only a change in Minister Koizumi, but considering Prime Minister Takaichi's statement is the root of the problem, it warrants a total resignation."

The audio evidence released by Chinese side has left Japan utterly humiliated and its claims completely exposed as fabrications, Lü Chao, a professor at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday

Taken together with this issue and Takaichi's recent remarks in the Diet - where she has been repeatedly pressed by lawmakers on Japan-China relations - it is clear that she is now being roasted over an open flame, with no viable moves left, said the expert. 

Mizuho Fukushima, leader of Japan's Social Democratic Party (SDP), on December 7, criticized Takaichi's remarks, saying that "even based on previous government interpretations, this is a violation of the Constitution. The statement must be retracted, and the Prime Minister should resign," according to a report from The Yomiuri Shimbun.

On Wednesday, Takaichi stated at the House of Representatives Budget Committee that, in light of the ongoing Japan-China tensions triggered by her own Diet response regarding a possible Taiwan contingency, she is eager to hold an early summit with US President Donald Trump, according to Kyodo News. 

Seeking to have talks with the US at this stage is nothing short of an admission of utter desperation, Lü said, noting that Takaichi's foreign policy is directionless. The Japanese public now regards her as an inexperienced leader with tunnel vision; this time her reckless, off-the-cuff remarks triggered a full-blown diplomatic crisis, and she has been visibly floundering ever since, the expert said.

In response to media report that the US Department of State criticized China on Tuesday local time regarding the "radar illumination" issue, claiming that "China's actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability" and reaffirming its unwavering commitment to Japan, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said "we hope the international community can be clear-eyed and not be deceived by the Japanese side. Japan's allies in particular need to stay on high alert and not to be misguided by the Japanese side."