China told Japan about air drills but not in enough detail to avoid danger, minister says
Both sides have been trading barbs following a stand-off between fighters during Saturday’s training exercise involving the Liaoning carrier
However, Koizumi told a press conference on Wednesday that the notification lacked detail about the scale and location of the exercise in the Pacific southeast of Okinawa’s main island and Beijing had not provided “notices to air missions”, a warning to ships and aircraft.
“The Self-Defence Forces were not provided with specific information on the scale and airspace in which aircraft from the carrier Liaoning would conduct training,” Koizumi said. “As a result, there was insufficient information for the avoidance of danger.”
On Tuesday, a purported audio recording of radio communication between the two navies was published by Yuyuantantian, a social media account run by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, as evidence that notice was given before carrier-based jets began their training exercise.
Koizumi did not make a direct comment about the recording during Wednesday’s press conference, according to Kyodo.
The two sides have been trading barbs over the stand-off on Saturday.