Beijing Demands Japan Stop Intervening In Chinas Military Drills - Defense Ministry - sputnik

Japan's actions hindering Chinese military drills are dangerous and could lead to serious accidents, Chinese National Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Thursday.

Japan's armed forces have been spying on the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning during Beijing's recent naval military drills, Wu said.

"I would like to note that Japan's actions in close-range tracking and impeding are extremely dangerous and can easily lead to misunderstandings and faulty judgments, as well as naval and air accidents," Wu told a briefing.

He added that Japan's actions do not contribute to confidence-building between the countries and pose a serious threat to carrier-based aircraft and troops of both sides.

"China demands that Japan stop all senseless hindering activities and take concrete actions to maintain bilateral relations, peace, and stability in the region," Wu said.

Beijing began its three-week naval drills in late April, ending them on May 24. Liaoning, China's first carrier, alongside seven other warships and an unknown number of submarines participated in the drills to target the so-called "US-Taiwan collusion" and to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the Chinese National Defense Ministry.