Beijing blames Japan over close encounters with Chinese jets
Japan has expressed serious concerns over a series of extremely close aerial encounters with the Chinese military. But officials in Beijing are now pointing the finger right back.
Japan's Defense Ministry says Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol planes were shadowed by Chinese fighter jets on June 7 and 8. The incidents took place over the Pacific Ocean around Japan.
The ministry says the Chinese aircraft came as close as about 45 meters.
But Chinese defense ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said in a video posted to social media on Friday that Beijing has sent a stern notice to Japan.
Jiang accused Japanese vessels and aircrafts of intentionally creating safety risks by frequently approaching and obstructing China's military activities.
He urged Japan to stop what he called "dangerous provocative actions".
Japan has conveyed serious concerns to China and called for steps to prevent a recurrence. The Japanese government says it cannot accept China's attempts to shift the blame.
The Japanese Embassy in Beijing told NHK that it has received notice of China's position, but refrained from commenting further.
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