Japan lodged a protest with Beijing last month over the installation of structures in the East China Sea, marking the latest in a series of incidents between the two Asian rivals.Tension has been running high between Japan and China since Beijing reacted to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks over Taiwan in parliament last November that culminated in a Chinese fighter locking its radar on a Japanese F-15 in the waters off Okinawa the following month.While the two governments have so far avoided acute escalation this year, tensions continue to simmer as they compete with isolated incidents and incompatible policies. China wants to push the boundaries of the status quo, while Japan wants to assert greater leadership in promoting a “free and open” Indo-Pacific.