The Chinese military has lodged stern representation with New Zealand over frequent reconnaissance flights by its military aircraft near China, a defense spokesman said on Friday, citing risks to civil aviation safety.

China's Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang made the remarks in response to a question about a New Zealand military aircraft that recently carried out multiple close-in reconnaissance in airspace near China, disrupting the order of civil aviation flights.

Zhang highlighted that a New Zealand Air Force P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft, ignoring China's warnings, recently conducted frequent close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the sea and airspace of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

"The Chinese military took professional and forceful measures to respond and lodged stern representations with the New Zealand side," he said.

Such actions by New Zealand endangered China's sovereignty and security, seriously disrupted flight order in relevant airspace, and could easily trigger maritime and air incidents, Zhang said.

He urged New Zealand to strictly restrain its frontline forces, immediately stop irresponsible acts of harassment endangering civil aviation safety, and prevent risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation.