A Chinese spokesman confirmed on Thursday that a Chinese marine surveillance plane was disturbed by Japanese military aircraft while patrolling airspace near the Diaoyu Islands.

Japan's action is meant to escalate the situation, and it should bear the consequences of this action, said Shi Qingfeng, spokesman for China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

The SOA spokesman said the Chinese government plane was conducting a routine patrol in China's undisputed airspace about 150 kilometers away from the Diaoyu Islands.