TOKYO: Japan’s Defense Ministry spotted Chinese and Russian bombers flying jointly near Japan for the second straight day on Wednesday in what Tokyo sees as an obvious demonstration of military power by China and Russia.

The ministry said the same day that it has confirmed two Chinese H-6 bombers and two Russian TU-95 bombers flying jointly from the East China Sea toward the Pacific Ocean south of Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan.

The Japanese government through diplomatic channels relayed its strong concern over the joint flight to China and Russia.

The joint flight came after China’s National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the Chinese and Russian militaries conducted a “joint aerial strategic patrol” over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

The four bombers flew from the direction of China and passed between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island, also part of Okinawa, to reach the Pacific Ocean around Wednesday afternoon, according to the Japanese ministry.

After returning to the East China Sea, the Russian aircraft passed through the Tsushima Strait, which lies between the Kyushu southwestern Japan region and the Korean Peninsula, and headed north over the Sea of Japan.

A total of 18 aircraft, including presumed Chinese and Russian planes, joined the bombers several times. This was an unprecedented scale of joint flight carried out in proximity to Japan, according to sources familiar with the matter.

On Wednesday, the Chinese National Defense Ministry said the second phase of the joint patrol has been completed.

The Japanese Defense Ministry, which regards the joint flight as an obvious demonstration of forces by China and Russia, is increasingly wary of the two countries’ intensified military activities.

 Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force scrambled its fighters in response to the sightings of the bombers, while there was no violation of Japanese territorial airspace.

JIJI Press