US strategic bombers flew alongside Japanese fighter jets over the Sea of Japan in a show of force that follows recent joint exercises conducted by China and Russia. The information was released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense and reported by Reuters.
In the statement, published this Thursday (11), the Japanese government highlighted that the joint operation reaffirms the alliance between Tokyo and Washington. The mission involved two American B-52 bombers and F-35 and F-15 aircraft from the Japanese Self-Defense Force.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the activity marks the first display of American military presence since China began new exercises in the region last week. The move also follows a joint flight of Chinese and Russian bombers in the East China Sea and the Western Pacific on Tuesday, an event that prompted Japan and South Korea to scramble fighter jets.
Recent Chinese exercises also involved operations with aircraft carriers, which led Tokyo to scramble its aircraft after detecting what it described as “targeted radar beams” aimed at its fighter jets. China rejected the accusation and stated that it was the Japanese jets that jeopardized its operations south of the country.
Washington criticized the episode, stating that it “does not lead to regional peace and stability,” and reiterated that its alliance with Japan remains “unbreakable.”
Japan’s Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Hiroaki Uchikura, described the Sino-Russian flight as a direct message to the country. ” We consider this a serious concern from the point of view of Japan’s security ,” he stated.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi expressed similar concerns in a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to the Japanese government.
In Beijing, the official discourse adopted a tone of normalcy. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said that the exercises with Russia are part of the annual plan for military cooperation between the two countries and reinforce the joint commitment to ” safeguarding regional peace and stability .” He added that ” the Japanese side doesn’t need to make a mountain out of a molehill.”
South Korea also reported scrambled its aircraft when Chinese and Russian bombers entered the country’s air defense identification zone, an area used for early warning that extends beyond national airspace.
Meanwhile, Taiwan claims to have recorded a second consecutive day of intensified Chinese military activity around the island. Taipei’s Defense Ministry reported detecting 27 aircraft, including H-6K bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, on a “joint combat readiness” mission, accompanied by military vessels. On Wednesday night, J-16 fighter jets and H-6 bombers conducted further long-range training in the Western Pacific after crossing south of Taiwan.
Regional tensions have increased since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi provoked a reaction from Beijing with statements about how Tokyo might respond to a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan. China claims the democratically governed island and does not rule out the use of force to seize it, noting that the territory is just over 100 km from the Japanese archipelago and surrounded by maritime routes vital to Japan.
Source: brasil247.com