(VOVworld) – Japan has strongly opposed China over its establishment of an air-defense identification zone in the East China Sea that covers islands claimed by both countries, namely Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.

China sets air-defense zone in East China Sea. Photo: internet

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that Junichi Ihara, head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian had phoned the Chinese Embassy in Japan to voice their opposition, stressing that this action of China is extremely dangerous and could lead to unpredictable incidents, which would escalate tensions between the two countries. Junichi Ihara stated that Japan “will never acknowledge the air defense zone set up by China as this includes Senkaku islands which are under the control of Tokyo. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akihita Saiki is expected to summon Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, to express Japan’s position in the issue. Earlier, Xinhua news agency reported that Chinese Defense Ministry on Saturday announced the establishment of an air-defense identification zone in the East China Sea and regulations applied for this zone.