Japan rioted after Russian and Chinese warplanes approached its airspace on Tuesday, when Tokyo welcomed leaders of the group of Quad countries that includes the United States, said Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.
Key points:
- Russia, China confirm joint patrol over Japan and East China Seas
- The maneuvers mark the first joint military exercise since the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Tokyo and Washington express concern over overflight with ongoing Quad summit
The incident saw Japan broadcast “serious concerns” to both Russia and China through diplomatic channels, Defense Minister Kishi told an online news conference.
He described the incident as a likely provocation by both Beijing and Moscow on a day when U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly elected Australian leader Anthony Albanese met in Tokyo.
“We believe that the fact that this action was taken during the Quad summit makes it more provocative than in the past,” he said, adding that it was the fourth such incident since November.
Two Chinese warplanes flew over the Sea of Japan from the East China Sea and two Russian warplanes joined them to fly together to the East China Sea, Kishi said.
The two Chinese warplanes were later replaced by another pair believed to be Chinese, who then flew with the Russians on a long flight to the Pacific Ocean.
A Russian reconnaissance aircraft also flew over the open sea from the northern island of Hokkaido to the Noto Peninsula on the main island of Japan.
No aircraft entered Japanese airspace.
Joint exercise
According to the Chinese Ministry of Defense, the exercise was part of an “annual military cooperation plan.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the joint patrol, which said it lasted 13 hours over the Japanese and East China Seas and involved strategic Russian Tu-95 and Xian H-6 Chinese bombers.
Japanese and South Korean air force planes overshadowed Russian and Chinese aircraft for part of the exercise, Russia said.
U.S. officials say the move is the first joint military exercise by China and Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine and shows the depth of the two countries’ alignment.
China has carried out military exercises in the disputed South China Sea coinciding with visits by US President Joe Biden to South Korea and Japan. (Reuters)
“We believe that it shows that China remains ready to align itself closely with Russia, even through military cooperation,” the official said, adding that such actions must be planned well in advance.
“China is not moving away from Russia. Instead, the exercise shows that China is ready to help Russia defend its east while Russia fights its west,” a senior administration official said.
The official added that the bombing drill indicated that Russia would stay with China in its territorial disputes with its neighbors in the East and South China Sea.
Questionable time
It was unclear whether the exercises were planned to coincide with Mr Biden’s first trip as president to Asia, where he has visited allies South Korea and Japan, and on Tuesday joined the leaders of Japan, India and Australia. collectively known as the Quad. for its second face-to-face summit.
The four leaders highlighted their determination to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
Beijing and Moscow declared a “limitless” partnership a few weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and China has refused to condemn the move.
The two countries have conducted such exercises in the past, including what Russia said was their first long-range joint air patrol in the region in 2019. In August, they conducted large-scale military exercises. scale in China with more than 10,000 soldiers.
U.S. officials say there is still no indication that Beijing has given material support to Russia’s war in Ukraine, a move they have warned could trigger sanctions on China similar to some of the radical measures Washington and its allies are taking. they have taken against Moscow.
Reuters / ABC