Chinese warships have pointed missile radars at Japanese military targets and taken the two regional powers to the brink of “a dangerous situation”, say Japanese officials.
The news overnight marks a dangerous escalation of a four-month diplomatic and military stand-off between Australia’s two largest trading partners, involving disputed islets in the East China Sea.
Japan’s defence minister, Itsunori Onodera, told reporters last night that a Chinese frigate pointed a missile control radar at the Japanese destroyer Yuudachi on January 30.
“Something like fire-control radar was directed at a Japan Self-Defense Maritime escort ship in the East China Sea,” Mr Onodera told reporters in Tokyo
He also said a Chinese vessel had similarly targeted a Japanese ship-based helicopter two weeks earlier.
“This is extremely abnormal behaviour,” Mr Onodera said.
“One step in the wrong direction could have pushed things into a dangerous situation,” he said.
Full article: China, Japan on the brink (The Sidney Morning Herald)
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