TOKYO-
Japan says Chinese military jets have come dangerously close to Japanese military aircraft over the East China Sea.
Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that a group of Chinese SU27 fighters came as close as 30 meters (100 feet) to Japanese aircraft Wednesday morning. He said the Chinese planes posed a danger to the Japanese aircraft and a serious incident could have occurred.
Calls to the Chinese defence ministry’s press office rang unanswered.
The two countries have clashed frequently over conflicting claims in the East China Sea.
The incident came amid high-level talks between Japan and Australia that were to address China’s growing military presence in the region.
