On June 6, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced that the country is conducting joint air patrols with the Russian Federation in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.
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| This photo taken on June 6 shows a Chinese H-6 bomber during a joint patrol with Russia. (Source: Japan's Defense Ministry) |
This is the sixth joint patrol between the two countries since 2019, conducted in the context of increasing military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense's statement said that this patrol is part of the annual cooperation between the two countries' militaries.
On June 7, Yonhap reported that as part of the above patrol, Russia and China sent fighter jets into South Korea's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) without prior notice.
Lee Seung-beom, director general of the South Korean Defense Ministry's international policy bureau, said the country had sent "stern" protest notes to military attaches at the Chinese and Russian embassies in Seoul over the incident.
In a press release, the South Korean Defense Ministry expressed concern as the two countries sent aircraft into sensitive areas near "our airspace."
The ministry also called on Beijing and Moscow to take appropriate measures to prevent the above actions from recurring, noting that such intrusions could cause tension in the region.
An air defense identification zone is not territorial airspace but is designated to require foreign aircraft to identify themselves to prevent accidental clashes.
Russia and China have not commented on South Korea's reaction.
Also on June 7, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that the joint patrols by China and Russia around the island nation were a "serious concern" for national security.
According to Mr. Matsuno, Japan also detected Chinese and Russian attack aircraft operating together on June 7.
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