The United States for the first time criticized China for targeting its radars for military aircraft Japanese during a training exercise last week, incidents about which Asian neighbors have given different versions amid an escalation of tensions.
The confrontation near the Japanese islands of Okinawa comes after Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, sparked a dispute with Beijing last month for his statements about how Tokyo could react to a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan.
China demands a democratically governed Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the island, located just over 100 kilometers from Japanese territory and surrounded by sea lanes on which Tokyo depends.
“China’s actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability,” a State Department spokesperson said late Tuesday, referring to the radar incident.
“The alliance between the United States and Japan It is stronger and more united than ever. “Our commitment to our ally Japan is unwavering, and we are in close contact on this and other matters.”
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara welcomed the comments, saying they “demonstrate the strong alliance between the US and Japan.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Late on Tuesday, Japan sent planes to monitor Russian and Chinese air forces who carried out joint patrols around the country.
