Japan's Defense Ministry says the Air Self-Defense Force scrambled its jets against Chinese aircraft fewer times during the first 9 months of this fiscal year, compared to the previous year.

The ministry says the ASDF scrambled jets against foreign aircraft that could violate Japan's airspace 736 times between April and December.

That's down 17 percent from the same period a year before.

395 of the flights were made against Chinese aircraft, a decline of 39 percent compared to the same period a year before. The number against Chinese aircraft had hit a record high last fiscal year.

Japanese jets were scrambled against Russian aircraft 328 times, up 42 percent on the year.

Although the number scrambling against Chinese aircraft is falling, the ministry says China is expanding training and intelligence-gathering activities.

Two Chinese fighter jets flew over the Tsushima Strait in the Sea of Japan last month for the first time.

Back in August, 6 Chinese bombers flew from the East China Sea to the Pacific off Kii Peninsula in central Japan.

Source: ANNnewsCH