BEIJING, Sept 19 (Askume) – China said on Thursday the Liaoning ship was conducting a routine training mission in the western Pacific and denied allegations by Tokyo that the ship and its escorts had entered Japan’s territorial waters.
In the latest incident in a dispute over maritime activities between Beijing and Tokyo, Japan’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that an aircraft carrier and two accompanying destroyers had entered Japanese-controlled waters between Yonaguni and Iriomote islands in southern Japan.
China’s Ministry of National Defense responded on Thursday that the ships were conducting training exercises in compliance with relevant international laws. It did not disclose the exact location of the fleet.
“No further explanation is needed to the parties involved,” the Defense Department said in a statement.
Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshi Moriya said on Wednesday that Tokyo had expressed serious concern to Beijing and described the incident as “completely unacceptable.”
Moriya said Japan would continue to closely monitor the activities of Chinese naval ships in the surrounding waters.
China’s growing military activity near Japan and around the island of Taiwan in recent years has worried Tokyo. Japan has stepped up its security with the aim of deterring China from using force to advance its territorial claims in the region.
Last month, Japan protested to Beijing over a Chinese naval survey ship entering Japanese waters. It also accused a Chinese spy plane of violating its airspace.
