On June 6, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced that it is conducting joint air patrols with the Russian Federation in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.
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| The photo, taken on June 6th, shows a Chinese H-6 bomber on a joint patrol with Russia. (Source: Japan's Ministry of Defense) |
This is the sixth joint patrol between the two countries since 2019, conducted amid increased military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
The statement from the Chinese Ministry of Defense clarified that this patrol was part of the annual cooperation between the two countries' militaries.
On June 7, Yonhap reported that, as part of the patrol, Russia and China launched fighter jets into South Korea's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) without prior notice.
Lee Seung-beom, Director-General of the International Policy Division of the South Korean Ministry of Defense, announced that the country has sent a "stern" protest note to the military attachés at the Chinese and Russian embassies in Seoul regarding the incident.
In a press release, the South Korean Ministry of Defense expressed concern over the two countries' deployment of aircraft into sensitive areas near "our airspace."
The ministry also called on Beijing and Moscow to take appropriate measures to prevent such actions from recurring, noting that such incursions could cause tension in the region.
An air defense identification zone is not territorial airspace but is defined to require foreign aircraft to identify themselves in order to prevent unexpected collisions.
Russia and China have not commented on South Korea's reaction.
Also on June 7th, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated that the joint patrols by China and Russia around the island nation were a "serious concern" for national security.
According to Matsuno, Japan also detected Chinese and Russian attack aircraft operating simultaneously on June 7th.
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