Japan conveyed its “grave concern” to China and Russia through diplomatic channels after they jointly flew a sortie of strategic bombers near its airspace during the recent Quad summit in Tokyo, Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi revealed on Wednesday.
Kishi said that Chinese and Russian bombers had jointly flown for an extended distance near Japanese waters on Tuesday and that the latest incident was deemed “more provocative than past cases because it was staged when the Quad meeting was held.”
🚨NEW, thread : A senior administration official confirms to Fox that China and Russia flew nuclear-capable bombers through Sea of Japan, continuing through the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea – as President Biden attended a Quad leaders summit in Tokyo.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) May 24, 2022
Echoing the sentiment, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno called the joint flight a “show of force” against Tokyo, as it was conducted during the summit, which “raises the level of provocation.” “We cannot overlook actions that heighten tensions in East Asia when Russia has already increased tensions in Ukraine,” Matsuno said during his regular press conference. He further added that China conducted the drill at a time when ongoing international efforts are focused on stopping Russia’s aggression. The government “strongly demanded China play a responsible role in maintaining peace and security in the international community.”
According to Kishi, two Chinese bombers were joined by two Russian bombers over the Sea of Japan after flying from the East China Sea on Tuesday morning and afternoon. The four bombers then together flew toward the East China Sea. The two Chinese bombers were replaced by two other bombers also believed to belong to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The four bombers then made a return journey between Okinawa’s main island and Miyakojima island.
#BREAKING #Japan says it scrambled jets after Russian and Chinese warplanes neared its airspace during Quad summit. Defence Minister said the move by Russia and China "was a likely a provocation"
— Guy Elster (@guyelster) May 24, 2022
Kishi acknowledged that although it was rare that the bombers flew far over the Pacific Ocean, they did not violate Japan’s airspace during the long flight. He added that on the same day, a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flew over international waters off Rebun island in Hokkaido to the sea off the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. In response, Japan and South Korea both scrambled fighter jets as deterrence, although the sortie did not violate South Korea's airspace either.
Confirming the news, the Russian defence ministry said that the joint patrol, which lasted 13 hours over the Japanese and East China seas, involved Russian Tu-95 and Chinese Xian H-6 strategic bombers. However, it added that the aircraft of both countries “acted strictly in accordance with the provisions of international law,” and that “there were no violations of the airspace of foreign states.”
U.S. President Joe Biden and leaders from Australia, India and Japan vowed to stand together for a free and open Indo-Pacific, as the Quad discussed countering China and shared concerns over Russia's war with Ukraine https://t.co/5fWuFThsUA pic.twitter.com/uNmXdWSb49
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 24, 2022
Japan's defense minister said Tuesday that the government had expressed its "grave concerns" to Russia and China, after they carried out joint flights near Japan as leaders of the Quad bloc met in Tokyohttps://t.co/akx8CkhMnM pic.twitter.com/94j8SaHweb
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 24, 2022
This marks the fourth time that the two countries’ military aircraft have jointly flown for an extended distance. Referring to this, a senior United States (US) administration official said that the latest joint exercise by Moscow and Beijing reflected the depth of the two countries’ strategic alignment. “We think it shows that China continues to be willing to closely align themselves with Russia, including through military cooperation. China is not walking away from Russia. Instead, the exercise shows that China is ready to help Russia defend its east while Russia fights in its west,” the official said.
Japan-Russia relations have been tense in recent months, as Japan has joined its Western allies in condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Tokyo of being “an accomplice of neo-Nazism” last month after Japan removed the Azov battalion from its list of neo-Nazi organisations.
At the same time, Japan is embroiled in a long-running territorial dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands, which China refers to as the Diaoyu, in the East China Sea