Russia and China display ‘forceful stance against Japan’ during Biden’s Camp David summit.
Japanese Fighter Pilots Scramble to Protect Territory Amid China-Russia Joint Military Patrol
Japanese fighter pilots were on high alert as they responded to a suspected intrusion into the country’s airspace during a joint military patrol by China and Russia. Defense officials reported the incident, highlighting the continuous efforts of the Japan Joint Staff to safeguard their territory and maintain peace for the people of Japan.
Concerns Amidst Historic Summit
The incident took place on Thursday, coinciding with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s scheduled arrival in Washington, D.C. for a historic summit with President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. This summit holds great significance as it aims to bridge the divide between key U.S. allies, Japan and South Korea, which have long been affected by the acrimonious legacy of the Second World War.
China defended the joint military drills as a “customary practice,” despite objecting to the trilateral summit. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin expressed his views on the matter, emphasizing that attempts to form exclusionary groupings and introduce military blocs into the Asia-Pacific region would not receive support and would be met with vigilance and opposition from regional countries.
Show of Force Against Japan
Japanese officials, however, maintained that the drills were clearly intended as a show of force against Japan. The fighter jets were scrambled in response to the appearance of Russian Ilyushin-38s, specialized in anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance. Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese naval forces continued their joint exercise.
The Russian Defense Ministry provided details on the ongoing activities, stating that an exercise was conducted in the East China Sea to replenish ships with water and fuel supplies from support vessels. The Russian and PLA Navy ships have been operating in the waters of the East China Sea, covering a distance of over 6,400 nautical miles since the beginning of the patrol.
Security Cooperation and Concerns
Japan and South Korea have been working towards improving their diplomatic and security cooperation, partly due to Russia’s campaign to overthrow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s use of Russia’s nuclear weapons arsenal during the conflict has raised concerns and prompted caution from Japanese Prime Minister Kishida. He fears that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un or Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping could draw inspiration from these actions.
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