INTERNATIONAL: A joint patrol by Russian and Chinese warplanes near Japan's airspace during Tokyo’s hosting of the leaders of the Quad grouping of countries Minister Nobuo Kishi said. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. Tuesday demonstrates that a partnership between the two countries is "quite alive and well Japan scrambled jets after Russian and Chinese warplanes neared its airspace on Tuesday, Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said.
Tokyo conveyed "grave concerns" to both Russia and China through diplomatic channels, Kishi said at a news conference that was broadcast online.
"We believe the fact that this action was taken during the Quad summit makes it more provocative than in the past," he said, adding it was the fourth such incident since November.
He characterised the incident as a likely provocation by both Beijing and Moscow on a day when U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australia's newly elected leader, Anthony Albanese, were meeting in Tokyo.
Two Chinese warplanes flew over the Sea of Japan from the East China Sea and were then joined by two Russian warplanes for a flight together toward the East China Sea, Kishi said.
Later, the two Chinese warplanes were replaced by another pair believed to be Chinese, which then flew with the Russians on a long flight toward the Pacific Ocean, he said.
A Russian reconnaissance plane also flew over the open sea from the northern island of Hokkaido to the Noto peninsula on Japan's main island, he said.
None of the aircraft entered into Japan's airspace, he said.
Russia and China both confirmed they conducted a joint patrol. Russia's defence ministry said the patrol lasted 13 hours over the Japanese and East China seas.
The exercise was part of an "annual military cooperation plan", China's defence ministry said.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.
A joint patrol by Russian and Chinese warplanes near Japan's airspace during a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday demonstrates that a partnership between the two countries is "quite alive and well," U.S.
STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON, NED PRICE, SAID:
"The PRC and Russia did conduct a joint military patrol involving their strategic bombers on May 24th. The patrol, as we understand it, traversed the Sea of Japan and continues through the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. This exercise was likely planned well in advance by both countries and Beijing's decision to cooperate with Moscow in this way, amid Russia's further invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin's dangerous nuclear rhetoric, demonstrates the quote unquote, no limits partnerships that they talked about in their joint communiqué is quite alive and well."
