BEIJING - The Chinese defense ministry said on Thursday that Chinese military aircraft flying over China's seas accords with international law.

The Japanese defense ministry reportedly alleged that two Chinese military aircraft on Monday were, at one time, flying over the sea some 60 kilometers from the airspace of the Diaoyu Islands, but did not enter "Japanese territorial airspace". The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force reportedly sent F-15 fighters to intercept them.

An official with China's Ministry of National Defense told reporters that Chinese military aircraft flying over seas under its jurisdiction accords with international law.

The Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands have been China's inherent territory since antiquity and China has indisputable sovereignty over them, he said.

The official pointed out that Japan's Air Self-Defense Force has in recent years stepped up China-targeted patrolling over the East China Sea, and Japan's long-term and close-range tracking and surveillance of China's regular naval and air activities could easily lead to misunderstanding and misjudgment by both sides.

Taking into account the China-Japan friendship and need for increasing mutual trust, China hopes that Japan will take effective measures and halt reckless activities to avoid and prevent accidents both at sea and in the air.

Xinhua

(China Daily 07/09/2011 page7)