DHAKA: Japan on Thursday summoned the Chinese ambassador to complain about fighter jets flying ‘dangerously’ close to two of its military planes over the East China Sea.

Officials said, reports The Straits Times.

In the latest up-close confrontation between the two sides, Tokyo said two Chinese SU-27 jets flew just 30 metres away from its aircraft in a spot where the two countries' air defence zones overlap.

‘It was an action that was extremely regrettable, and which cannot be tolerated,’ said top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga of the Wednesday incident.

It was the second time in less than three weeks that Tokyo has accused Beijing of playing chicken in the skies near the hotly-contested Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus.

BDST: 1355 HRS, JUNE 12, 2014