TOKYO: Japan’sVice Minister for Foreign Affairs FUNAKOSHITakehiroon Thursdayexpressed Japan’s serious concerns toChinese AmbassadorWu Jianghao over incidentsinvolving Chinese military aircraft, Japan’s Foreign Ministry reported.

On July 9 and 10,Chinese military aircraft made unusuallyclose approaches towardaircraft belonging to Japan’sAir Self-Defense Forcethat wereconducting surveillance and monitoring operations over the East China Sea.

Funakoshi stressed that these actions could provoke accidental collisions and strongly urged thegovernment of China to ensure that similar actionsare not repeated.

The incident reportedly occurred overinternational waters in the East China Seaand involveda Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber and an ASDF YS-11EB electronic intelligence aircraft. A similar incident occurred in June.

China and Japan have a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, which lie to the west of Okinawa in the East China Sea.