India, March 15 -- A Chinese naval fighter jet pilot safely ejected from a fighter jet which crashed during training exercise in an open area in Hainan on Saturday, according to the military.

The plane belonged to the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command and crashed in Hainan, a southern island province, news agency AFP quoted a statement by the navy put out on social media.

The Southern Theater Command is responsible for some of China's most sensitive regions, including the South China Sea, where clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships have fueled tensions in recent years over contested islands and reefs.

"The pilot successfully ejected, causing no collateral damage on the ground," the navy stated.

For years, China has at...