The Tokyo-based Japan Military Review was reported as saying that the Chinese government is likely to buy up to 5,000 Russian air-to-air missiles in addition to the more than 5,000 missiles it already purchased in the past.

The report published by the Japan Military Review was written by retired Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Air Development and Test Command commander Toshiyuki Roku, Want China Times reported.

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In the article, Roku said China is likely to purchase 5,000 R-73 and R-77 air-to-air missiles from Russia in addition to the 1,500 R-77 missiles and 3,300 R-73 missiles it has already purchase in the past.

"The People's Liberation Army realizes that it needs the more advanced Russian missiles to go head to head against the US and Japan in any potential future air combat," Roku wrote.

China already manufactures air-to-air missiles such as the PL-12, the SD-10A and the PL-9C but the domestic missiles are still unable to compete against US counterparts, the article added.

Roku considers Russia's R-73 short-range missiles as the most powerful air-to-air missile during the Cold War. It was developed in 1985.

The R-77 medium-range air-to-air missile has the same capabilities as the AIM-120 missile of the United States.

With the planned missile purchase by China, Roku suggested in his article that Japan develop or buy new missiles to maintain aerial superiority in the skies over the East China Sea.

Japan's main air-to-air missiles are the AAM-4 short-range and the AAM-5 medium-range missiles, which Roku said had both been upgraded in Japan. He also drew attention to the development of Chinese medium-range air-to-air missile with Ramjet.

China and Japan have been locked in a territorial dispute over a piece of island in the Eat China Sea.

However, Japanese investors and businessmen in China are hopeful that Chinese President Xi Jianping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will finally meet and hold a dialogue.

A group of Japanese traders in China said a picture of Xi and Abe shaking hands published in a Chinese newspaper will surely expedite the approval of business permits and construction permits for Japanese investors in the country. 

TagsChina Missiles, China-Japan Dispute