Japan has dismissed allegations from China that its military harassed a Chinese aircraft carrier group during an extended naval operation across parts of the Pacific Ocean.
The disagreement follows statements issued by China’s navy accusing Japanese forces of repeatedly monitoring and interfering with the activities of a Chinese carrier strike formation during a 40-day deployment in waters far from China’s coastline.
According to Chinese authorities, the naval mission involved the aircraft carrier Liaoning and accompanying vessels conducting operations across several maritime zones, including the South China Sea and the western Pacific region.
China stated that the exercises included multiple rounds of military drills carried out during both daytime and nighttime conditions. The activities reportedly involved coordinated operations between warships and aircraft designed to strengthen long-range combat readiness and improve integrated operational performance in distant maritime environments.
In a statement shared through official Chinese channels, the navy claimed that Japanese military assets repeatedly approached the formation to observe and track its activities at close range. Beijing characterised these actions as surveillance, interference, and unnecessary provocation.
Chinese officials further maintained that the Liaoning strike group remained on full operational alert throughout the mission. Aircraft assigned to the carrier reportedly conducted repeated sorties as part of training activities, while the naval group was said to have responded in a controlled manner to what China described as risky conduct by Japanese forces.
Japan, however, strongly rejected the accusations.
In a statement released late Wednesday through the Japanese Joint Staff’s official X account, Tokyo said the Chinese claims did not reflect what actually occurred.
Japanese defence authorities stated that their military activities were carried out professionally and within normal operational standards. They added that Japan’s Ministry of Defence and Self-Defence Forces would continue carrying out surveillance and monitoring operations in nearby airspace and surrounding waters to protect national security interests.
Japanese officials pointed to an earlier announcement issued on June 1 in which the Joint Staff confirmed that Chinese naval vessels had conducted exercises east of the Philippines toward the end of May.
Tokyo said its military had simply carried out routine observation and intelligence-gathering operations during that period to monitor developments in nearby maritime areas.
The exchange marks another episode in the increasingly strained relationship between Asia’s two largest economies.
Relations between China and Japan have faced growing pressure in recent months following comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding regional security.
Takaichi, who is widely viewed as taking a firm stance on defence matters, suggested last November that Japan could become involved militarily if China attempted to seize Taiwan by force.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has consistently maintained that reunification remains a national objective. While Beijing says it prefers peaceful means, it has not ruled out military action.
Following Japan’s remarks, China responded with warnings to its citizens regarding travel to Japan and introduced restrictions affecting certain trade activities.
At the same time, Japan has accelerated efforts to strengthen its defence posture and expand military preparedness. Supported by closer security cooperation with the United States, Tokyo has continued moving away from the more restrained defence policies that shaped the country’s approach after World War II.
Separately, Japanese authorities disclosed on Wednesday that two Japanese nationals had been detained in China on suspicion of violating export and import controls.
Officials stated that the individuals were accused of attempting to transport restricted goods.
Local media reports identified the men as employees of Fuji Electric and suggested the case may involve allegations linked to the movement of rare earth materials outside China.
The latest developments add to ongoing diplomatic and security tensions between the neighbouring countries as competition and mistrust continue to influence regional relations.
