Japan complains: After being illuminated by the radar of the J-15, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces called the Chinese hotline but were rejected!

The J-15 fighter jet conducted radar illumination on the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's F-15J fighter jet that approached for reconnaissance over the international waters southeast of Okinawa. The Japanese Ministry of Defense immediately tried to use the emergency communication hotline between the defense departments of Japan and China, hoping to have a direct dialogue with China regarding this matter. According to Nikkei News, however, no one answered the call after it was made.

Why doesn’t China answer?

The key lies in the fundamentally different understanding of the function of this hotline by both sides. Japan sees it as a “crisis brake” — once a tense situation arises, it immediately connects to the other party's high-level officials to quickly de-escalate. In contrast, China views this hotline as a channel for managing maritime and aerial crises. In other words, this is not an “emergency call,” but a “communication line.”

Behind this cognitive difference is a deep transformation in strategy and power dynamics. Ten years ago, Japan had a technological advantage in the East China Sea with its F-15J fleet; today, its main fighter jets average over 30 years of service, and a shortage of pilots has led to nearly 20% of the aircraft being grounded.

Meanwhile, China not only possesses advanced platforms such as the J-15T and J-16, but also is equipped with GaN active phased array radars, which can trigger Japan's outdated alarm systems with conventional scanning. The so-called “fire control lock” is likely a misjudgment caused by the disparity in capabilities.

More importantly, China believes the root of the problem lies not in the “illumination” but in the “close” provocation. At the time of the incident, the F-15J was already within 50 kilometers of the Liaoning aircraft carrier training area, far below the internationally accepted 100-kilometer safety distance.

China has repeatedly emphasized that the training area of the Liaoning aircraft carrier is in international waters and was announced in advance, making it completely legal. The real risk is created by the Japanese military aircraft repeatedly approaching to monitor and interfere with training exercises.