China has proposed setting up a new mechanism aimed at preventing a military aircraft incident with Japan, sources said Thursday, amid growing regional concerns about Beijing's newly declared air defense identification zone over the East China Sea.

The proposal was made by former Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan during a meeting with Japanese former and current lawmakers in Beijing on Wednesday.

"It is also necessary to have crisis management for air. We should also have (talks on) air," one of the sources quoted Tang as saying during the meeting after referring to the ongoing negotiations between defense officials of the two countries on a similar mechanism for maritime safety.