BEIJING ?-- A government spokesman confirmed on Thursday that a Chinese maritime surveillance plane was harassed by Japanese military aircraft while patrolling airspace near the Diaoyu Islands.

Japan's action was meant to escalate the situation and it should bear the consequences, said Shi Qingfeng, spokesman for the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

Shi said the Chinese plane was conducting a routine patrol in airspace over the East China Sea about 150 km away from the Diaoyu Islands.

Shi said the flight route used by the plane has been used by Chinese surveillance planes since 2007.

"The Japanese side's disturbance was intended to cause confusion and distort the truth," Shi said.