China slams Japan over record air force confrontations

BEIJING - Japan's claims that it is having to scramble jets against Chinese planes with record frequency "only serve to remind us of Japan's long-term tracking, surveillance and disturbance of China's ships and aircraft," according to a Chinese defense spokesperson.

"Japan's actions compromise the navigational safety of Chinese ships and aircraft and could easily trigger security risks between China and Japan," Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun said at a monthly press conference on Thursday.

The Japanese Defense Ministry's Joint Staff said on Oct 19 that Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets were scrambled against Chinese aircraft 231 times in the April-September period, 24 times more than a year earlier.

Yang said Chinese military planes enjoy freedom of overflight in this airspace, urging Japan to stop hampering this freedom.