Transport issue still under disscussion

The defense departments of China and Japan are still consulting on whether Japan's Self-Defense Force (SDF) should send a transport plane carrying relief supplies, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday.

"In order to have relief materials sent to the quake-hit areas more quickly, based on consensus reached through consultation, some countries have used military planes to carry the materials and some countries' militaries have offered materials such as tents," Qin said at a regular briefing.

But whether Japan's SDF will send a transport plane to China will be decided by the two countries' defense departments, he said.