China objects Japan’s military exercises

China expressed strong opposition to Japan’s joint military exercise operations with extraterritorial nations. “We sternly oppose Japan wooing extraterritorial nations for joint military drills that only increase regional tensions,” Ministry of Defense spokesman Yang Yujun reported by Chinese news agency (Xinhua) as saying. Yang made the remarks in reply to a question regarding a potential Japan-US joint military exercise in Okinawa. Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported that Japan and the United States were considering a joint military drill for early November. “We will keep a close eye on developments concerning the issue,” Yang said, adding that Japan is to blame for the degradation of military-to-military exchanges between China and Japan. Media reports said China and Japan have shelved a plan to build a maritime liaison mechanism between their defense departments. Both countries agreed in June to partially initiate the mechanism later this year.