Japan-China Military Tension: The tension between Japan and China is spilling over into South Korea. The South Korean military has also stated that fighter jets from China and a third country are illegally flying in its airspace.
Tensions between China and Japan are at their peak, and a third player has entered the fray. Russian fighter jets have arrived to support China. Japan’s Defense Ministry said that two Russian TQ-95 aircraft, capable of carrying out nuclear bombs, and two Chinese H-6 bombers flew from the Sea of Japan toward the East China Sea. These four Russian and Chinese fighter jets are conducting a “long-range joint flight” in the Pacific. Japan has now deployed its fighter jets to monitor the Russian and Chinese air forces.
Significantly, these four fighter jets from Russia and China weren’t the only ones flying. Japan said they were joined by four Chinese J-16 fighter jet bombers during a round-trip flight between the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako. The sea between the two islands is considered international waters.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said Japan also detected simultaneous Russian air force activity in the Sea of Japan at the same time, including an A-50 early-warning aircraft and two SU-30 fighter jets, reports AFP. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in a post on X on Wednesday that this joint operation by Russia and China was “clearly intended to show force against our country (Japan), which is a serious concern for our national security.”
Koizumi said Japan’s fighter jets have strictly implemented measures to protect its skies.
Significantly, Russian news agencies, citing Putin’s Defense Ministry, reported that Russia and China conducted a joint flight near Japan for eight hours. Furthermore, South Korea’s military also said on Tuesday that seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft had entered its air defense zone.
Tensions have increased between Japan and China
Japan said on Sunday that Chinese fighter jets had targeted radar on Japanese military aircraft, a claim China denied. China’s increased military activity near Japan follows comments last month by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Japan would respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan, as it also threatened Japan’s security.