Japan concerned about China’s activities on East SeaJapanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera has voiced deep concern about reports that Chinese bombers had landed for the first time at an airport on the East Sea. Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori OnoderaJapanese broadcaster NHK on May 22 quoted Onodera as saying that China had increased large-scale reclamation activities on the East Sea along with the construction of military facilities and bases and other activities. The minister said those moves of China aimed at unilaterally changing the status quo and creating a fait accompli. Earlier, Chinese air force announced that some strategic bombers of the country landed at an airport in Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago in the East Sea on May 18. Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang also said China’s acts have adversely affected negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between the ASEAN and China, fueled tensions and caused instability in the region, and hampered efforts to maintain peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea.

Source: VietNamNet News May 23, 2018 04:18 UTC