ANKARA/ISLAMABAD 

China and Japan on Wednesday continued exchanging words over recent fighter jet engagements between their militaries amid a fresh release of a jet radio clip by Beijing.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed on Wednesday that there was communication from a Chinese Navy vessel to a Japanese warship.

He underlined that the Japanese side was “not provided with any concrete information on what scale” the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning’s aircraft would “conduct training or in what airspace.”

He defended the scrambling of Japanese jets against the Chinese fighters that flew from the carrier Liaoning, calling it a “necessary” and “appropriate” action on US social media company X.

Koizumi also underlined the importance of maintaining communications with the Chinese side.

The ongoing dispute stems from an air engagement between Chinese and Japanese jets on Saturday over the high seas southeast of Japan’s Okinawa Island.

Koizumi’s remarks came after an audio clip of the radio communication between the Chinese and Japanese forces recorded before the Liaoning began its flight exercises on Saturday, emerged on Tuesday.

“This is China Navy warship 101. Our formation organizes shipboard aircraft flight training as planned. Over,” a man’s voice is heard saying in both Chinese and English, according to daily South China Morning Post.

Chinese warship 101, this is Japan warship 116. I copy your message,” replied a female voice in English, the report added.

Tokyo had said Chinese J-15 aircraft from Liaoning locked radar on two ASDF F-15 jets over the international waters, with Koizumi dubbing the incident as “dangerous.”

Beijing rejected the Japanese version as well as protest lodged by Tokyo and said Japanese jets “harassed” the Chinese forces.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun Wednesday said that Beijing's training activities in the relevant waters and aerospace was “completely in line with international law and model practices.”

“The maneuvers are professional, secure, restraint and beyond dispute,” Guo told a news conference in Beijing.

“The Japanese side claimed that it has not received notification of China. Now it acknowledged it has received the Chinese information in advance, which is contradictory,” he said.

On Sunday, the Chinese navy said that Japanese aircraft "repeatedly approached and disrupted" the Chinese naval training maritime area and airspace and "seriously endangered flight safety."