China harbors no imminent plans of creating an Air Defense Identification Zone over the South China Sea, the foreign ministry announced in a press release quoted by the state-owned news agency Xinhua.
Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun previously claimed that Chinese officials have finalized a draft plan for a prospective Air Defense Identification Zone to be set up over the disputed sea.
According to Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei, the reports are baseless rumors being spread by “right-wing forces” in Japan.
“We sternly warned these forces not to mislead public opinions with rumors and play up tensions for their own selfish benefits,” he said.
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Undoing Constitutional Right to Abortion
- What the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Means for Your State
- The Failure of the Feminist Industrial Complex
- The Fight Over Abortion Has Only Just Begun
- Column: How Stereotypes Shape the Language People Use
- Everything We Know About Beyoncé's New Album, Renaissance
- Homes Made from Straw or Fungi Can Now Get You a Cheaper Mortgage in the Netherlands
- Going on Vacation This Summer? Welcome to the 'Revenge Travel' Economy
Read More From TIME
