Beijing Targets Japan Over Airspace Friction as Putin’s India Outreach Tests China’s Regional Balancing Act

China on Monday launched a sharp diplomatic broadside against Japan, accusing Tokyo of dangerous military harassment and political manipulation following an airspace incident involving fighter jets over disputed waters. At the same time, Beijing adopted a markedly measured tone on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to India. The comments showed China’s complex efforts to manage rising strategic frictions with Tokyo while avoiding open divergence with Moscow and New Delhi.

Image Source: Lin Jian on X

The escalating airspace tension stems from Japan’s accusation that Chinese naval fighter jets had “intermittently illuminated” Japanese Self-Defense Force aircraft with targeting radar during exercises over the East China Sea on December 6. 

The Japan Defense Ministry claimed its aircraft did not obstruct China’s flight paths and denied any provocation. China, in contrast, described Japan’s account as a deliberate distortion, asserting that the Japanese aircraft had intruded into its training zone and conducted close-in reconnaissance.

At a regular briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun rejected Tokyo’s accusations, stating that China’s carrier-based aircraft activated radar in accordance with international norms and for standard flight safety. 

He said, “To activate search radar during flight training is commonly done by carrier-based aircraft of all countries. The incident arose from Japanese jets’ deliberate intrusion into China’s exercise and training zones and close-in reconnaissance.” 

He described Japan’s allegations as an attempt to “spread disinformation” and “create tension” at a sensitive time, warning Tokyo to cease its “dangerous harassment” of China’s military and “stop all irresponsible allegations and political manipulation.”

The intensifying China-Japan confrontation comes as China faces renewed pressure in the region amid deepening defense cooperation between Tokyo and Western allies, growing tensions over Taiwan, and a more assertive posture from the United States in the Indo-Pacific. 

The incident also coincides with a flurry of diplomatic activity across Asia, including Putin’s high-level visit to India, which China addressed with uncharacteristic restraint.

Asked about the outcome of Putin’s meetings in New Delhi, where the Russian President and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed their “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” Guo avoided criticism and instead emphasized trilateral cooperation. 

He said that sound ties among China, Russia, and India are in the interests of the Global South and global stability. On Putin’s remarks that India and China are “close friends” and capable of resolving their bilateral issues without third-party interference, Guo said China stands ready to work with India to promote the “sustained, sound and steady development” of ties and “better benefit the two countries and peoples.”

The comments come after Putin and Modi jointly unveiled an ambitious economic cooperation program targeting diversified bilateral trade by 2030 and held defense-level discussions focused on strengthening military ties. 

Beijing’s measured stance reflects both the sensitivities surrounding China’s strained relationship with India and its desire to preserve the strategic triangle with Russia amid shifting geopolitical currents. 

Russia has maintained strong ties with both India and China but has increasingly found itself playing a balancing role between the two Asian powers, particularly in forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.

While Beijing remains engaged in high-level exchanges with European leaders and continues to position itself as a champion of multilateralism and global governance, its uncompromising language toward Tokyo underscores the fragile state of regional security in East Asia. 

With Taiwan tensions simmering, the Taiwan Strait featuring prominently in the newly released U.S. National Security Strategy, and Japan playing an increasingly prominent security role, Beijing appears determined to confront Tokyo’s military maneuvers while avoiding a parallel escalation with New Delhi.

The developments mark a critical moment in China’s diplomatic calendar. Managing overlapping tensions with neighboring powers, while seeking to preserve space for cooperation with key economic partners and strategic allies, has become central to Beijing’s regional calculus. 

The airspace clash with Japan and the diplomatic implications of Putin’s India outreach both serve as reminders of the volatile balance China is seeking to maintain amid fast-evolving strategic realignments.