Chinese jets fly close to disputed isles

April 27, 2013 18:18

Chinese military planes, mostly fighter jets, made more than 40 flights close to Tokyo-controlled islands at the centre of a territorial dispute on a single day this week, a press report said today.

The flights took place on Tuesday, when eight Chinese marine surveillance ships entered the 12-nautical-mile territorial zone off the islands in the East China Sea, which Japan calls the Senkakus and China calls the Diaoyus, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported.

The conservative daily, citing senior government officials, said F-15 fighter planes from an airbase on the Japanese island of Okinawa scrambled to intercept the Chinese aircraft which flew in waves towards the skies over the islands.

"It was an unprecedented threat," one of the officials was quoted as saying.

Another said, "If such a show of force continues, it is feared it could lead to a situation where the (Japanese) air defence force may not be able to cope."

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