'No cause for alarm': China downplays military flights over Japanese strait

Chinese military planes flying over the Miyako Strait is a routine exercise and no cause for alarm or speculation, the Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Chinese military planes legally passed the strait between Japan's Miyako and Okinawa Islands, said Ren Guoqiang, the ministry's spokesman, adding that the Chinese military will organize similar far-sea exercises according to regional situations and mission needs in the future.

Such activities should cause neither alarm nor too much speculation, and relevant parties should "get used to it," Ren said.

Japan's Defense Ministry said six Chinese bombers flew past the Miyako Straits on Thursday. Miyako Strait is a strategic entryway into the Western Pacific that has been regularly used by the Chinese military for routine far-sea drills.

In April, Chinese naval ships passed through the strait en route for a regular far-sea drill.

In early March, Japan scrambled fighter jets after 13 Chinese naval aircraft were spotted flying through the strait.