TOKYO | Chinese and Russian bombers flew together near Japanese territory on Tuesday, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said, adding that Tokyo had officially protested against Beijing and Moscow by expressing its “serious concerns”.
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These Sino-Russian flights coincided with the holding on Tuesday in Tokyo of a summit of the “Quad”, an informal alliance bringing together the leaders of the United States, Japan, Australia and India, all concerned about the China’s growing military influence in Asia-Pacific.
“Two Chinese bombers joined two Russian bombers in the Sea of Japan and made a combined flight to the East China Sea,” Kishi told reporters.
After that, a total of four planes, including probably two more Chinese bombers and two Russian bombers “operated a bundle flight from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean,” the minister added.
A Russian surveillance and intelligence plane also flew north of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido to the Noto Peninsula (central Japan) on Tuesday, Kishi said, calling the actions particularly “provocative”. the day of the Quad summit in Tokyo.
“We have expressed through diplomatic channels our serious concerns from the perspective of our country and for regional security,” Kishi said.
“As the international community responds to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the fact that China has taken such action in collaboration with Russia…is concerning. This cannot be underestimated,” he added.
Beijing confirmed the flights, saying they were part of the “annual military cooperation plan” between China and Russia.
“On May 24, the air forces of the two countries organized and conducted a routine joint strategic air patrol in the airspace over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and Western Pacific maritime areas” , the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
In a statement, Quad leaders on Tuesday warned against attempts “to change the status quo by force,” while avoiding explicitly citing Russia and China.
Their statement referred to the war in Ukraine, and alluded to the military activities that China is regularly accused of carrying out in the region.
The Chinese and Russian planes did not enter Japanese airspace, however, and it was the fourth time such group flights had taken place near Japan since last November, the Japanese Ministry of Defense later said. at AFP.
Japan, which has border disputes with its Chinese, Russian and South Korean neighbors, regularly flies fighter jets to defend its airspace.
