China and Russia have been conducting exercises with strategic bombers in the skies of the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. This is the second such exercise in the Asia-Pacific region in the last one year. This has increased regional tensions.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that two Russian TU-95MS and four Chinese H-6K strategic bombers had taken part in the joint exercise. The ministry said in a statement that the Russian Aerospace Force and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force conducted the second joint exercise with long-range aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region.
Russia's Defense Ministry said the exercise was part of an implementation of a military cooperation agreement between the two countries. However, the exercise did not target any third country. In addition, it has strictly complied with international law.
Seoul has already protested that Russian and Chinese military planes have entered South Korean airspace. The Russian Defense Ministry issued the statement in this regard. The South Korean military says China has told them a Chinese military plane crashed into South Korean airspace while taking part in a regular flight.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that China and Russia were believed to be conducting joint military exercises, but that the matter needed to be further investigated. South Korea's state news agency Yonhap said Seoul had warned Beijing and Moscow against repeating such incidents.
