On June 6, China's Ministry of National Defense announced that it was conducting joint air patrols with the Russian Federation in the Sea of Japan and East China Sea areas.
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| The photo, taken on June 6, shows a Chinese H-6 bomber on a joint patrol with Russia. (Source: Ministry of Defense of Japan) |
This is the sixth joint patrol between the two countries since 6, conducted in the context of Beijing and Moscow's increased military cooperation.
The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that the patrol was part of the annual cooperation between the two militaries.
March 7, Yonhap Reportedly, within the framework of the above patrol, Russia and China sent fighter jets to enter Korea's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) without warning.
Lee Seung-beom, director of the Department of International Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, announced that the country had sent a "severe" protest note to the military attaches at the Chinese Embassy and the Russian Embassy in Seoul. Seoul is involved in the case.
In a press release, South Korea's Defense Ministry expressed concern when the two countries flew aircraft into sensitive areas near "our airspace".
The ministry also called on Beijing and Moscow to take appropriate measures to prevent such actions from happening again, noting that such intrusions could cause tension in the region.
The Air Defense Identification Zone is not territorial airspace but is delimited to require foreign aircraft to self-identify to prevent accidental encounters.
Russia and China have not yet commented on South Korea's response.
Also on June 7, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that the joint Chinese and Russian patrols around the island nation were a "serious concern" for national security.
According to Matsuno, Japan also detected Chinese and Russian attack aircraft operating together on June 7.
