Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

 
The spokesperson for the Chinese PLA Navy has already made it clear on December 7 that the training airspace and waters were announced in advance. One may refer to the relevant Chinese authorities for further details, said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Tuesday. The remarks were made in response to a question about Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi's claim that Japan does not believe that it has been given flight and navigation information over sea and airspace related to China's navy training in advance, The Paper reported.

The Chinese side's responses came amid consecutive hypes by Koizumi and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday that the carrier-based aircraft of China's Liaoning formation directed radar at Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets in open waters southeast of Okinawa Island. According to an Asahi Shimbun report that cited the Japanese defense ministry, two Japanese warplanes conducted "countermeasures for airspace violations." However, the Asahi Shimbun report then admitted that no Chinese aircraft actually violated Japanese airspace in the incident.

When asked to comment on reports that China did not answer Japan's "hotline call" regarding the issue of the "radar illumination," Guo said: "As I've already addressed the related questions, the spokesperson for the Chinese PLA Navy made it clear on December 7 that the training airspace and waters were announced in advance. For specific details, we recommend that further inquiries be directed to the relevant Chinese authorities."

Global Times