闫鹏雷｜Who is threatening the peace in the Western Pacific?
创建时间：  2026-01-28     浏览次数：

Yan Penglei, Research Assistant, Center for Turkish Studies at Shanghai University


December 2025 witnessed a dramatic upheaval in the geopolitics of the Western Pacific. During the Liaoning aircraft carrier and its strike group’s long-range combat exercises in the waters east of Miyako Strait, Japanese naval vessels and aircraft repeatedly conducted close-range reconnaissance and disrupted China’s legitimate training activities, posing maritime and aerial security risks. Yet Japan turned the tables, accusing Chinese naval aircraft of “radar locking” Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets—distorting routine military exercises as dangerous provocations.However, with the disclosure of recordings and details, the truth has become clear: this was a deliberate act of framing and provocation by Japanese side, a blatant violation committed with full knowledge of the consequences. China’s countermeasures were not only justified but also defended regional security and order.


I: Who was acting in deliberate defiance of the rules?— Japan forcibly entered the exercise zone to disrupt operations despite full awareness

This crisis was by no means an “encounter” as claimed by Japan, but a premeditated provocation. The facts speak for themselves. The Miyako Strait is an international navigation channel where vessels and aircraft of all nations enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight under international law. The Chinese Navy’s exercise in the high seas east of the Miyako Strait was entirely legitimate and lawful. Publicly released audio recordings reveal that on December 6, the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group notified Japanese warships of its training plans via radio, with the Japanese side acknowledging receipt. A clearly audible voice states: “This is Chinese Navy Warship 101. Our formation organizes carrier-based aircraft flight training as planned. Over.” Japanese destroyer JS Mutsuki acknowledged and replied: “Chinese Navy Ship 101, this is Japanese Warship 116. I copy your message.” However, despite being fully informed, Japanese fighter jets still intruded into the exercise zone, persistently closing in despite Chinese warnings, seriously threatening the safety of the exercise.


II. Who crossed the red line?—Japanese aircraft persistently approached after entering exercise zone, seriously threatening Chinese fleet safety

Japan’s Ministry of Defense claimed its fighter jets maintained a “safe distance” while conducting surveillance, accusing China’s “radar illumination” as an “overreaction” while turning a blind eye to the red line beneath their feet. After entering the exercise zone, the Japanese aircraft persistently closed in on the Chinese fleet, coming within less than 50 kilometers. In the lexicon of modern aerial combat, this is not termed a “safe distance” but rather a “missile no-escape zone,” signifying a confirmed probability of kill. Such pressure not only poses immense challenges for Chinese command but also gravely endangers fleet security—a blatant violation of red lines. Facing this perilous situation, China’s radar activation constitutes self-defense, not aggression.


III. : Who is violating international maritime conventions? — Japan violated the Convention’s principle of due regard and its duty to ensure exercise safety

While the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates the freedom of overflight on the high seas, it also establishes the Due Regard principle—that is, when exercising such freedoms, all countries shall not impair the interests of other states. Similarly, the spirit of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) also requires maritime units to avoid dangerous approaching. The safety-first principle in international practice actually takes precedence over the formal principle of airspace openness. Although exercise zones on the high seas are not legally absolute sovereign no-fly zones, respecting areas where other nations are conducting live-fire or flight exercises is a universally observed professional code of conduct in maritime and aerial military practice.

Japan’s attempt to use “freedom of the high seas” to justify its dangerous flight maneuvers is a case of equivocation.Therefore, the banner of “freedom of the high seas” not only fails to conceal Japan’s bullying nature but instead confirms that Japan disregarded international maritime conventions. Despite China’s advance notification of the exercise zone, Japan still dispatched fighter jets to intrude into the core area, violating the principles and spirit of “due regard” and “avoidance of dangerous approaches” stipulated in the conventions. This constitutes unlawful interference and poses a severe threat to the safety of China’s exercises. Freedom does not mean ignoring risks, much less creating them. When confronted with Japan’s close-range provocations and interference, China’s use of radar illumination constitutes a necessary and restrained self-defense measure to maintain exercise order and flight safety.


IV. : Who is manipulating public opinion with ulterior intent? — Japan uses verbal trickery to create ambiguity, distort facts, and escalate the situation

Beyond the dangerous provocations at the scene, Japan’s media manipulation after the event is rife with deception, revealing its malicious intent.

Military experts point out that Japan’s F-15J fighter jets possess relatively outdated electronic reconnaissance equipment, making it extremely easy to confuse radar “search illumination” with “fire control radar lock-on.” Therefore, their radar cannot provide precise, verifiable parameters, leading to frequent false alarms. This mirrors the situation in 2018 when Japan falsely accused the South Korean Navy of “radar lock-on”. Even more chilling is Japan’s despicable wordplay in its external communications: using the inflammatory term “lock-on” in the Japanese version while substituting the milder “illumination” in the Chinese translation.This double standard exposes Japan’s contradictory mindset: it seeks to amplify the “China threat narrative” internationally while lacking credible evidence to substantiate its claims. This is a classic case of the guilty accusing the innocent, revealing ulterior motives.


V. : Whose political scheme is this? — Japan’s right-wing government attempts to divert domestic crisis and align with U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy

This crisis is no accidental friction, but rather the result of the Japanese ultra-right-wing government’s painstaking political scheming and strategic opportunism.

Japan’s political landscape in 2025 is full with undercurrents. Since taking office as Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi—dubbed the “Iron Lady”—has projected strength abroad while being mired domestically in political funding scandals. Plummeting approval ratings and relentless opposition attacks have left the Takaichi administration desperate for a flashpoint to divert domestic attention. Against this backdrop, inflating the “China threat theory” became Sanae Takaichi’s lifeline. By provoking military friction between China and Japan in the Western Pacific, her administration could rapidly manufacture a sense of crisis domestically. This would allow her to rally conservative support through a “defend against external threats to stabilize the interior” strategy, thereby suppressing dissent.

A deeper motive lies in this being a pivotal step for Japan’s right-wing forces to resurrect the specter of militarism. The Takaichi administration fully inherits Shinzo Abe’s agenda, adopting even more radical stances. They not only recklessly assert that “an incident in Taiwan is an incident for Japan,” but also seek to break free from the constraints of the pacifist constitution. They aim to double the defense budget and have even hinted at developing nuclear submarines. Japan’s proactive creation of a crisis in the Miyako Strait—a critical corridor for U.S.-Japan intervention in the Taiwan Strait—serves two purposes: first, to act as America’s vanguard in its Indo-Pacific containment strategy, testing China’s bottom line; second, to fabricate justification for domestic constitutional revision and military expansion. They must demonstrate to the public that “Japan faces imminent military threats” to legitimize massive defense spending.


Conclusion: China’s bottom line must not be trampled

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and Taiwan’s liberation. At this moment of profound historical significance, the provocations by Japan’s right-wing forces in waters surrounding China are particularly jarring. Eighty years ago, the Potsdam Proclamation solemnly declared the eradication of the roots of Japanese militarism; eighty years later, we will never permit militarism to resurrect itself and threaten Asia’s peace and stability once more.

The current Sino-Japanese dispute serves as a mirror that reveals the true face of Japanese right-wing forces undermining regional peace. Against the backdrop of Japan’s provocative moves, China’s countermeasures are not only tactical self-defense but also a strategic warning. The Chinese military’s resolve to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as a rock. China does not provoke trouble, but we are also not afraid of it. We seek peace, but we will never swallow the bitter costs that undermines our national security. For those political opportunists who seek to muddy the waters in the Western Pacific and play with fire, China’s restraint has limits. Any daring act that crosses the red line and targets China’s national security will inevitably be crushed against the iron wall of China’s resolve.


来源：https://harici.com.tr/en/who-is-threatening-the-peace-in-the-western-pacific/









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闫鹏雷｜Who is threatening the peace in the Western Pacific?
创建时间：  2026-01-28     浏览次数：

Yan Penglei, Research Assistant, Center for Turkish Studies at Shanghai University


December 2025 witnessed a dramatic upheaval in the geopolitics of the Western Pacific. During the Liaoning aircraft carrier and its strike group’s long-range combat exercises in the waters east of Miyako Strait, Japanese naval vessels and aircraft repeatedly conducted close-range reconnaissance and disrupted China’s legitimate training activities, posing maritime and aerial security risks. Yet Japan turned the tables, accusing Chinese naval aircraft of “radar locking” Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets—distorting routine military exercises as dangerous provocations.However, with the disclosure of recordings and details, the truth has become clear: this was a deliberate act of framing and provocation by Japanese side, a blatant violation committed with full knowledge of the consequences. China’s countermeasures were not only justified but also defended regional security and order.


I: Who was acting in deliberate defiance of the rules?— Japan forcibly entered the exercise zone to disrupt operations despite full awareness

This crisis was by no means an “encounter” as claimed by Japan, but a premeditated provocation. The facts speak for themselves. The Miyako Strait is an international navigation channel where vessels and aircraft of all nations enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight under international law. The Chinese Navy’s exercise in the high seas east of the Miyako Strait was entirely legitimate and lawful. Publicly released audio recordings reveal that on December 6, the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group notified Japanese warships of its training plans via radio, with the Japanese side acknowledging receipt. A clearly audible voice states: “This is Chinese Navy Warship 101. Our formation organizes carrier-based aircraft flight training as planned. Over.” Japanese destroyer JS Mutsuki acknowledged and replied: “Chinese Navy Ship 101, this is Japanese Warship 116. I copy your message.” However, despite being fully informed, Japanese fighter jets still intruded into the exercise zone, persistently closing in despite Chinese warnings, seriously threatening the safety of the exercise.


II. Who crossed the red line?—Japanese aircraft persistently approached after entering exercise zone, seriously threatening Chinese fleet safety

Japan’s Ministry of Defense claimed its fighter jets maintained a “safe distance” while conducting surveillance, accusing China’s “radar illumination” as an “overreaction” while turning a blind eye to the red line beneath their feet. After entering the exercise zone, the Japanese aircraft persistently closed in on the Chinese fleet, coming within less than 50 kilometers. In the lexicon of modern aerial combat, this is not termed a “safe distance” but rather a “missile no-escape zone,” signifying a confirmed probability of kill. Such pressure not only poses immense challenges for Chinese command but also gravely endangers fleet security—a blatant violation of red lines. Facing this perilous situation, China’s radar activation constitutes self-defense, not aggression.


III. : Who is violating international maritime conventions? — Japan violated the Convention’s principle of due regard and its duty to ensure exercise safety

While the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates the freedom of overflight on the high seas, it also establishes the Due Regard principle—that is, when exercising such freedoms, all countries shall not impair the interests of other states. Similarly, the spirit of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) also requires maritime units to avoid dangerous approaching. The safety-first principle in international practice actually takes precedence over the formal principle of airspace openness. Although exercise zones on the high seas are not legally absolute sovereign no-fly zones, respecting areas where other nations are conducting live-fire or flight exercises is a universally observed professional code of conduct in maritime and aerial military practice.

Japan’s attempt to use “freedom of the high seas” to justify its dangerous flight maneuvers is a case of equivocation.Therefore, the banner of “freedom of the high seas” not only fails to conceal Japan’s bullying nature but instead confirms that Japan disregarded international maritime conventions. Despite China’s advance notification of the exercise zone, Japan still dispatched fighter jets to intrude into the core area, violating the principles and spirit of “due regard” and “avoidance of dangerous approaches” stipulated in the conventions. This constitutes unlawful interference and poses a severe threat to the safety of China’s exercises. Freedom does not mean ignoring risks, much less creating them. When confronted with Japan’s close-range provocations and interference, China’s use of radar illumination constitutes a necessary and restrained self-defense measure to maintain exercise order and flight safety.


IV. : Who is manipulating public opinion with ulterior intent? — Japan uses verbal trickery to create ambiguity, distort facts, and escalate the situation

Beyond the dangerous provocations at the scene, Japan’s media manipulation after the event is rife with deception, revealing its malicious intent.

Military experts point out that Japan’s F-15J fighter jets possess relatively outdated electronic reconnaissance equipment, making it extremely easy to confuse radar “search illumination” with “fire control radar lock-on.” Therefore, their radar cannot provide precise, verifiable parameters, leading to frequent false alarms. This mirrors the situation in 2018 when Japan falsely accused the South Korean Navy of “radar lock-on”. Even more chilling is Japan’s despicable wordplay in its external communications: using the inflammatory term “lock-on” in the Japanese version while substituting the milder “illumination” in the Chinese translation.This double standard exposes Japan’s contradictory mindset: it seeks to amplify the “China threat narrative” internationally while lacking credible evidence to substantiate its claims. This is a classic case of the guilty accusing the innocent, revealing ulterior motives.


V. : Whose political scheme is this? — Japan’s right-wing government attempts to divert domestic crisis and align with U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy

This crisis is no accidental friction, but rather the result of the Japanese ultra-right-wing government’s painstaking political scheming and strategic opportunism.

Japan’s political landscape in 2025 is full with undercurrents. Since taking office as Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi—dubbed the “Iron Lady”—has projected strength abroad while being mired domestically in political funding scandals. Plummeting approval ratings and relentless opposition attacks have left the Takaichi administration desperate for a flashpoint to divert domestic attention. Against this backdrop, inflating the “China threat theory” became Sanae Takaichi’s lifeline. By provoking military friction between China and Japan in the Western Pacific, her administration could rapidly manufacture a sense of crisis domestically. This would allow her to rally conservative support through a “defend against external threats to stabilize the interior” strategy, thereby suppressing dissent.

A deeper motive lies in this being a pivotal step for Japan’s right-wing forces to resurrect the specter of militarism. The Takaichi administration fully inherits Shinzo Abe’s agenda, adopting even more radical stances. They not only recklessly assert that “an incident in Taiwan is an incident for Japan,” but also seek to break free from the constraints of the pacifist constitution. They aim to double the defense budget and have even hinted at developing nuclear submarines. Japan’s proactive creation of a crisis in the Miyako Strait—a critical corridor for U.S.-Japan intervention in the Taiwan Strait—serves two purposes: first, to act as America’s vanguard in its Indo-Pacific containment strategy, testing China’s bottom line; second, to fabricate justification for domestic constitutional revision and military expansion. They must demonstrate to the public that “Japan faces imminent military threats” to legitimize massive defense spending.


Conclusion: China’s bottom line must not be trampled

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and Taiwan’s liberation. At this moment of profound historical significance, the provocations by Japan’s right-wing forces in waters surrounding China are particularly jarring. Eighty years ago, the Potsdam Proclamation solemnly declared the eradication of the roots of Japanese militarism; eighty years later, we will never permit militarism to resurrect itself and threaten Asia’s peace and stability once more.

The current Sino-Japanese dispute serves as a mirror that reveals the true face of Japanese right-wing forces undermining regional peace. Against the backdrop of Japan’s provocative moves, China’s countermeasures are not only tactical self-defense but also a strategic warning. The Chinese military’s resolve to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as a rock. China does not provoke trouble, but we are also not afraid of it. We seek peace, but we will never swallow the bitter costs that undermines our national security. For those political opportunists who seek to muddy the waters in the Western Pacific and play with fire, China’s restraint has limits. Any daring act that crosses the red line and targets China’s national security will inevitably be crushed against the iron wall of China’s resolve.


来源：https://harici.com.tr/en/who-is-threatening-the-peace-in-the-western-pacific/









下一条：江时学｜区域国别研究的喜与忧