Japan scrambles fighters to monitor Russia-China 'show-of-force' patrol amid Tokyo-Beijing tensions
Japan has scrambled fighter jets after Russian and Chinese aircraft conducted an extended joint patrol around its territory, heightening concerns over simmering tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.
In a statement, Japan’s defense ministry said it had launched warplanes to track a coordinated air operation involving Russian and Chinese forces near the airspace of the island country.
The scrambling came after two Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers flew from the Sea of Japan to link up with a pair of Chinese H-6 bombers and carried out a long-range joint patrol over the Pacific, while four Chinese J-16 fighters escorted the formation on a round-trip flight passing between Okinawa and Miyako islands, a route that runs through the international Miyako Strait.
The ministry also claimed that it had detected a concurrent Russian activity in the Sea of Japan, consisting of an A-50 early-warning aircraft and two Su-30 fighters.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi condemned the joint flights on Wednesday, stressing that the operations were “clearly intended as a show of force against our nation, which is a serious concern for our national security.”
He also emphasized that Japanese jets executed all required air-defense identification procedures.
According to the Russian defense ministry, the joint patrol lasted eight hours.
Separately, South Korea claimed that seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft also entered its air-defense zone on Tuesday, saying the move added to regional unease.
The joint patrol came after Japan alleged on Sunday that Chinese carrier-based fighters had locked radar on Japanese aircraft, a claim Beijing rejected.
China’s heightened military operations come after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo could respond if Chinese actions against Taiwan endangered Japan.
This comes amid Russian-Chinese defense cooperation, which has included anti-missile training in Russia and live-fire naval drills in the South China Sea.
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