Japan scrambled jets after Russian and Chinese warplanesneared its airspace while Tokyo was hosting the leaders of the Quad group ofcountries, which includes the United States, said Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi,who called the move a provocation. read more
It was the first joint military exercise by China and Russiasince Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, according to a US official, and it cameat the tail end of Biden"s four-day trip.
"We think it shows that China continues to be willingto closely align themselves with Russia, including through militarycooperation," a senior administration official said, adding that suchactions must be planned well in advance. read more
"China is not walking away from Russia. Instead, theexercise shows that China is ready to help Russia defend its east while Russiafights in its west," the official said.
Biden stressed during the trip, intended in part to counterChina"s growing influence in the region, that the United States will stand withits allies and partners to push for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Beijing and Moscow declared a "no-limits"partnership just weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered theinvasion of Ukraine, and China has refused to condemn the move.
The joint patrol lasted 13 hours over the Japanese and EastChina seas and involved Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers and Chinese Xian H-6jets, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Planes from the Japanese and South Korean air forcesshadowed the Russian and Chinese jets for part of the exercise, it said.
Tokyo conveyed "grave concerns" to both Russia andChina through diplomatic channels, Kishi said at a news conference.
He characterised the incident as a likely provocation byboth Beijing and Moscow on a day when Biden, Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi and Australia"s newly elected leader, Anthony Albanese, were meeting inTokyo.
"We believe the fact that this action was taken duringthe Quad summit makes it more provocative than in the past," he said,adding it was the fourth such incident since November.
Chinese naval vessels likely participated in the jointexercise, a US official said.
China"s defence ministry confirmed the joint aerial patrolover the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and the Western Pacific and called itpart of an annual military exercise. read more
On Monday, Biden angered China by saying he would be willingto use force to defend Taiwan, but he said later US policy toward theself-ruled democratic island had not changed. China considers Taiwan aninalienable part of its territory that should be reunited with the mainland.
Tuesday"s drill was the first reported since new SouthKorean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office on May 10. On Sunday, Yoon wrappedup his summit with Biden, where the two leaders pledged support for measuresseen as countering China"s influence in the region, and criticised Russia"s warin Ukraine.
South Korea"s military said it scrambled fighter jets afterat least four Chinese and four Russian warplanes entered its air defence zone.read more
The Russian and Chinese aircraft entered and left the KoreaAir Defence Identification Zone (Korea ADIZ) in the Sea of Japan, known inKorea as the East Sea, several times through the day, according to SouthKorea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The aircraft, which included fighter jets and bombers fromeach side, did not violate South Korea"s airspace, it said.
South Korea had no warning of the apparent drills, amilitary source in Seoul said. When Seoul saw that the aircraft appeared to beheaded toward the defence zone, it used hotlines to warn Chinese and Russiancounterparts, the source said.
China responded that it was a regular exercise, the sourceadded, while there was no response from Russia.
Unlike airspace, an air defence identification zone, orADIZ, is usually an area where countries may unilaterally demand that foreignaircraft take special steps to identify themselves, with no international lawsgoverning ADIZs.
