Washington DC - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi agreed during a call on Friday that China's actions over recent weeks are "not conducive to regional peace."

The comments came a week after Chinese aircraft locked radar on Japanese jets near Taiwan, drawing outrage from Tokyo and Washington.

Hegseth and Shinjiro Koizumi "exchanged candid views on the increasingly severe security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the radar incident," the Japanese Defense Ministry said after the call.

They "expressed serious concern over any actions to increase regional tensions, as China's actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability," the statement added.

Koizumi said on X in comments translated from Japanese that he told Hegseth that China was "disseminating information that is completely contrary to the facts" about the radar incident.

"However, Japan has made clear that it does not seek escalation and that we are responding calmly while making necessary rebuttals, and we are keeping the door open for dialogue," Koizumi added.

Hegseth's office said they had "discussed... China's military activities" among other issues including "Japan's efforts to increase its defense spending and strengthen its capabilities."

The US and Japan on Wednesday responded to China's radar lock on an aircraft by launching a joint show of force against Beijing, flying two US bombers and six Japanese jets in a series of "tactical exercises."

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sparked a sharp increase in hostility on November 7 by saying that she would intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.