The United States has publicly backed Japan for the first time after China allegedly aimed fire-control radars at Japanese military aircraft during a training exercise near Okinawa.

Axar.az, citing Reuters, reports that Washington criticized Beijing’s actions as destabilizing and reaffirmed its “unwavering” commitment to the U.S.–Japan alliance.

Japan welcomed the show of support.

China denied wrongdoing, accusing Japan of disrupting its naval drills and warning countries not to be “manipulated” by Tokyo.

The incident is considered the most serious military run-in between China and Japan in years. It comes amid rising tensions following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about how Japan might respond to a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan.