Expressing strong displeasure at Japan's criticism of the new zone, Tang said, "Japan's air defense identification zone is located very close to China's territorial waters" so there is no reason for Tokyo to complain.

"There are no global standards on the regulations of the identification zone, so there is not much difference between China's designation and that of Japan's," said Tang, who is also a former foreign minister.

In a related development, Japan plans to make the issue of flight safety in international airspace with Southeast Asian countries the main topic for the Japan-ASEAN summit set to take place next month in Tokyo, Kyodo reported.

At the summit, Abe is expected to seek support by persuading participants to take a united stance toward China. Some ASEAN counties have maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea, where there is a possibility that China may draw up a similar zone, the report said.

Qin, the spokesman, slammed Abe's support-seeking behaviors as "ill-intentioned and trouble-stirring".

"I would like Japan to tell other countries whether it has an air defense zone and whether it consulted with other countries when it designated the zone and later repeatedly expanded its range," Qin said.