ISTANBUL

After a naval drill with Russia, China Monday slammed what it called “close-range tracking” by Japan.

Beijing said Chinese and Russian warships jointly held a naval patrol in the West and North Pacific waters.

“The vessels strictly abided by international law and sailed in open waters,” said China’s Defense Ministry, calling on Tokyo to “cease its close-range tracking.”

Japan’s close-range tracking “is a disruptive and potentially dangerous action that could lead to accidents,” the ministry said, according to the Beijing-based daily Global Times.

Meanwhile, China began a military exercise in the Bohai Sea on Sunday, according to the Liaoning provincial maritime safety administration.

However, in a separate notice last Friday, the same administration had said military operations will take place in the Bohai Sea from Sunday which will conclude on Aug. 20.

“Whether the two announcements are correlated remains unknown, as the People's Liberation Army or other authorities have yet to publish more details,” the ministry said in a statement.