29 October 2013 Last updated at 03:43 ET <\/p>\n
Japan's defence minister says China's behaviour over disputed East China Sea islands is jeopardising peace. <\/p>\n
Itsunori Onodera's comments came amid heightened tensions between the two countries over islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. <\/p>\n
Rhetoric has risen in recent days, with Japan reporting increased activity from China in the area. <\/p>\n
Last week, Japan scrambled fighter jets three times after Chinese military aircraft flew near Japanese airspace. <\/p>\n
The two countries have argued for decades over the islands, which Japan controls. They are also claimed by Taiwan. <\/p>\n
In 2012, the Japanese government bought three of the islands from their private Japanese owner, a move which sparked a new row and protests in Chinese cities. <\/p>\n
Since then, Chinese ships have been sailing in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters, prompting fears of a clash. <\/p>\n
Mr Onodera told reporters in Tokyo he believed \"the intrusions by China in the territorial waters around the Senkaku islands fall in the 'grey zone' [between] peacetime and an emergency situation\". <\/p>\n
On Monday four Chinese ships entered waters around the islands. The move came after Japan scrambled fighters three days in a row after Chinese aircraft flew over international waters near Japan's southern island of Okinawa. <\/p>\n
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Japan warns China on islands row<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 29 October 2013 Last updated at 03:43 ET Japan's defence minister says China's behaviour over disputed East China Sea islands is jeopardising peace. Itsunori Onodera's comments came amid heightened tensions between the two countries over islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Rhetoric has risen in recent days, with Japan reporting increased activity from China in the area Continue reading