Japan has expressed deep concern over the joint air patrols of China and Russia in the nearby area.
Japan has expressed strong concerns over China and Russia’s joint air patrols, a sign of rising tensions in the region. The flights, carried out as part of their annual military cooperation plan, have raised significant concerns about Japan’s national security. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno allayed those concerns during a news conference in Tokyo, saying such repeated joint flights of strategic bombers near Japan indicated an expansion of activity in the country’s vicinity. Matsuno further emphasized that these actions appeared to be deliberately provocative.
On Tuesday, both South Korea and Japan shot down fighter jets in response to joint patrols. South Korea took action after four Russian and four Chinese military aircraft entered its air defense zone over the southern and eastern parts of the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile, Japan’s military confirmed that two Russian bombers continued their flight together with two Chinese bombers over the Sea of Japan to the East China Sea.
This joint air patrol is the sixth such cooperation between Russia and China since 2019. The timing of these exercises is particularly important, as tensions are rising in the Asia-Pacific region due to increased military activities by both China and the United States.
Japan has conveyed its concerns to China and Russia through diplomatic channels, highlighting the potential dangers posed by these joint flights near its territory. As the region is on edge, Japan is closely monitoring the situation and prioritizes protecting its national security interests.
