Japanese accused of fighter jet provocation over zone

China accused Japan on Monday of using its fighter jets to stage provocative actions over the East China Sea.

Beijing said this had endangered the safety of both Chinese and Japanese aircraft crews and threatened regional stability, which could easily lead to accidents in the air.

The comments, by the Ministry of National Defense, came after Japanese media reports said Chinese military aircraft had confronted Japanese warplanes several times recently south of the Diaoyu Islands.