Japan Denies China's Harassment Claims Amid Military Tensions

Japan has rejected China's allegations that its military harassed a Chinese aircraft carrier strike group during a 40-day exercise in distant waters of the Pacific. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) stated that their ships and aircraft engaged in close-range tracking and surveillance, which China described as harassment.

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning was operating in the South China Sea and Western Pacific, conducting multiple rounds of offensive and defensive exercises. Japan's Joint Staff issued a statement on June 1, asserting that the claims from China were not factual and emphasized that the JSDF would continue to conduct professional surveillance of the surrounding sea and airspace.

Additionally, Japan's Prime Minister Sana Takaichi, known for her conservative stance on security, suggested that Japan might intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attempt to annex Taiwan. This situation is compounded by reports of two Japanese citizens detained in China for allegedly smuggling goods subject to export-import bans.