Japan deployed jets on Tuesday to monitor Russian and Chinese air forces conducting joint patrols near its territory.
Joint Flight Details
Two Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable strategic bombers flew from the Sea of Japan toward the East China Sea to meet two Chinese H-6 bombers and carry out a "long-distance joint flight" over the Pacific, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.
Minister Details 30-Minute Radar Incident
Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's Defence Minister, said in a previous press conference that Chinese carrier-launched fighters conducted "intermittent radar lock-ons lasting approximately 30 minutes" against Japanese F-15 aircraft on Dec. 6 while operating in the air defense identification zone.
In response, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Japanese aircraft had repeatedly approached and disrupted Chinese naval operations during previously announced carrier-based training.
Koizumi said in a Wednesday post that China provided insufficient advance notice about training operations near the aircraft carrier Liaoning, with no Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) or navigational warnings issued.
Koizumi said on Wednesday in a separate post on X that "the repeated joint flights of bombers by both countries signify an expansion and intensification of activities around our country, clearly intended to demonstrate force against us, posing a serious concern for national security."
Regional Context
Japan's accusation that Chinese carrier-launched fighter jets aimed their radar at Japanese military aircraft was disputed by Beijing.
The escalating tensions between Japan and China follow Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi‘s comment last month that a hypothetical Chinese assault on Taiwan might lead Japan to use force.
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