Tokyo's defense minister said Friday it was "unacceptable" for China to blame Japan for close encounters between their military planes over the Pacific high seas last weekend. Japan says recent Chinese military activities in the Pacific — where Beijing's two operating aircraft carriers were sighted simultaneously for the first time — reveal its intent to improve operational capacity in remote areas.

The maneuvers over international waters in the Pacific last weekend prompted Japanese officials to warn China not to repeat them and risk a collision.