China has once again asked Japan to stay out of South China Sea dispute.

The Chinese defense ministry on Thursday issued a strong warning to Japan over its plan to hold joint naval exercises with the United States in the contested waters.

"We must solemnly tell Japan this is a miscalculation. If Japan wants to have joint patrols or drills in waters under Chinese jurisdiction this really is playing with fire," China's Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said during a monthly press briefing in Beijing.

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He also said Beijing would retaliate if Japan's "interference" continued in the South China Sea. "China's military will not sit idly by," Yang added. 

In July, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against China in favor of Philippines in a long-standing territorial dispute over the South China Sea. Japan, the United States, and other developed countries have repeatedly asked China to respect the ruling. Beijing has, however, refused to recognize the verdict and described it "null and void."

Japan's new Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, a critic of China, recently announced that Tokyo would take part in a joint naval exercise with the United States in the South China Sea.

Beijing's warning comes amid growing strains between China and Japan over ownership of the Senkaku Islands. Both Asian powers have been engaged in a bitter territorial dispute over Senkaku islands in the East China Sea. Tokyo on Monday issued a warning to China's People Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force against provocative actions in the contested waters. 

TagsSouth China Sea, South China Sea Dispute, Japan, china, Philippines