Russian bombers join Chinese air patrol near Japan as Tokyo-Beijing tie strains | Reuters
Japan has raised concerns after Russian and Chinese military aircraft carried out a joint long-distance air patrol near its territory on Tuesday. According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, the country had to scramble fighter jets to closely monitor the aircraft as they flew around its airspace.
What Exactly Happened?
Two Russian Tu-95 bombers, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flew from the Sea of Japan toward the East China Sea. There, they met up with two Chinese H-6 bombers for a coordinated flight over the Pacific.
Japan says four Chinese J-16 fighter jets also joined the formation as it flew between Okinawa and Miyako islands—a stretch of airspace recognized as international waters.
At the same time, Japan detected more Russian military activity in the region, including one A-50 early-warning aircraft and two Su-30 fighter jets.
Why Is This Important?
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on X that the joint operation was clearly meant to show military strength toward Japan, calling it a “serious concern” for national security. He added that Japan’s fighter jets responded by strictly following all air-defense identification procedures.
Russia’s Defence Ministry later said the joint patrol lasted about eight hours.
South Korea also reported that several Russian and Chinese aircraft entered its air-defense zone around the same time, suggesting a broader regional operation.
Rising Tension With Beijing
These actions come just days after Japan accused Chinese carrier-launched fighter jets of locking radar onto Japanese aircraft—an incident China denies.
Tensions have been elevated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo might intervene if China took military action against Taiwan in a way that also threatened Japan’s security.
Growing China–Russia Military Cooperation
China and Russia have been strengthening their military partnership across the region, including joint anti-missile training in Russia and live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, global markets stayed mostly calm, with U.S. stock indexes ending mixed on Tuesday.
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