China and Japan will establish an air and maritime contact system between their defense ministries as early as possible to avoid overflights of the airspace near Japanese territory by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) from igniting an air battle between the PLAAF and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).

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China and Japan also exchanged views on the East China Sea issue and agreed to hold the seventh round of high-level consultations on maritime affairs in Japan in the first half of 2017.

The agreement was reached during the sixth round of high-level consultations on maritime affairs held Dec. 7-9 in China's southern city of Haikou.

A day after meeting, however, China sent a PLAAF patrol so dangerously close to Japanese airspace off the Miyako Strait, which lies between Miyako Island and Japan's Okinawa Island, the JASDF sent two of its Mitsubishi F-15J air superiority fighters to eyeball the Chinese patrol.

China's Defense Ministry lodged a "solemn representation" on Oct. 10 to Japan over the JASDF's interference of the PLAAF's "routine training in the Western Pacific."

It denounced that F-15's conduct as "dangerous and unprofessional and destroyed the freedom of navigation and over-flight endowed by international laws."

China's Defense Ministry Spokesman Senior Colonel Yang Yujun said the F-15 fighter jets interfered with Chinese military aircraft from close range and even launched "jamming shells," (flares), which "endangered the safety of Chinese aircraft and crew."

Col. Yang said Chinese pilots promptly adopted necessary countermeasures and continued their training exercise.

He said the Miyako Strait is an internationally recognized lane and the PLAAF's high-seas training is within its annual training plan and isn't directed at any particular country or target, which are in line with the related international laws and practices.

"It must be pointed out that the various interferential activities initiated by the Japanese military aircraft and ships in recent years can easily lead to misunderstanding and misjudgment, resulting in disputes and even conflicts in the sea and air space," said Col. Yang.

Col. Yang urged Japan to adopt effective measures to avoid these "safety problems" in the sea and air by proceeding from maintaining the regional stability and overall interests of China-Japan relations.

Japan's Ministry of Defense said six Chinese warplanes, including two fighters, flew over the Miyako Strait between Okinawa's main island and Miyako Island. It said there was no actual infringement of Japanese territorial air space.

The PLAAF patrol likely consisted of two Su-30MKK long-range strike fighters; Xian H-6 strategic bombers and Xian H-6U aerial refueling tankers.

Tagschina, Japan, Miyako Strait, People's Liberation Army Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, routing training, Senior Colonel Yang Yujun