Japan and South Korea dispatched fighter jets on Saturday in response to a joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force reported that the patrols traversed the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the western Pacific, emphasizing the two nations’ determination and capability to protect regional peace and stability.
This marked the 11th such patrol since 2019, and the first of the year.
Japan’s defence ministry said it had tracked two separate flights involving Chinese H-6 bombers and Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers.
It added that Chinese J-16 fighter jets, Russian Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft and a Russian Su-30 fighter had accompanied the bombers.
A flight map released by the ministry showed some of the aircraft had flown through the Miyako Strait, a key waterway between Okinawa and the Miyako Islands that provides access to the western Pacific from the East China Sea.
South Korea said it had scrambled fighters after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its air defence identification zone, according to Yonhap News Agency. The aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace, the report added.
