BEIJING - Chinese defense ministry said Thursday that flying over China's sea areas by Chinese military aircraft accords with the international law.

The Japanese defense ministry reportedly alleged that two Chinese military aircraft on July 4 were, at one time, flying over the sea area some 60 kilometers away from the airspace of the Diaoyu Islands, but did not enter the "Japanese territorial airspace." The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force reportedly sent F-15 fighters to intercept them.

An official with China's Ministry of National Defense told reporters that Chinese military aircraft flying over sea areas under its jurisdiction completely accords with the international law.

The Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands have been China's inherent territory since ancient times and China has indisputable sovereignty over them, he added.

He pointed out that Japan's Air Self-Defense Force has, over recent years, stepped up China-targeted patrolling over the East China Sea and Japan's long-time and close-range tracking and surveillance of China's regular naval and air activities could easily lead to misunderstanding and misjudgment on both sides.

China hopes that the Japanese side would take effective measures and halt relevant risky activities so to avoid and prevent accidents both at sea and in the air, by taking into account China-Japan friendship and the need of increasing mutual trust.