Most viewers catch a news story mid-action – at the moment tensions snap or accusations fly. In this episode of Facts Tell, we examine the December 2025 encounter between Chinese and Japanese military aircraft east of the Miyako Strait. Japan focused on alleged radar illumination by a Chinese J-15 fighter, while China said its Liaoning aircraft carrier group was conducting pre-announced training and that Japanese aircraft repeatedly interefered by entering the exercise area. Where a story begins matters. A radar-lock claim suggests sudden escalation. A response to interference tells a very different story.