Japan Rejects China’s Claim on Radar Use

Tokyo, Dec. 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Tuesday disputed Beijing’s insistence that the use of radar by Chinese military aircraft on Japanese fighter jets was a “normal measure” to ensure flight safety. “Even when radar is used for area searches to ensure flight safety, it is not operated intermittently because doing so risks triggering unexpected incidents,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference in Tokyo. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a press briefing in Beijing on Monday that “to activate search radar during flight training is commonly done by carrier-based aircraft of all countries,” adding, “It’s also a normal measure to ensure flight safety.” Kihara said, “Fighter radar is used not only for searches but also for fire control, so the aircraft being targeted can’t clearly determine the intent.” “We determined that intermittent radar use was a dangerous act that goes beyond what is necessary for flight safety,” he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]