China and Russia sent bombers and fighter jets for a \u201cjoint strategic air patrol\u201d in airspace over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and western Pacific on Saturday, according to the Defense Ministry in Beijing.<\/p>\n
The ministry said the long-range patrol, the 11th between the two air forces, demonstrated \u201ctheir resolve and capability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Japan\u2019s Defense Ministry said it had scrambled fighter jets in response, adding that it had tracked the movements by the Chinese and Russian aircraft \u2014 including four Chinese H-6 bombers and two Russian Tu-95 bombers \u2014 from Saturday morning through the afternoon. The flight also involved two Russian Tu-142 patrol aircraft, two Chinese J-16 fighter jets and one Russian Su-30 fighter jet.<\/p>\n
A map of the aircrafts\u2019 flight path accompanying the ministry\u2019s statement showed that some of the bombers had flown through the Miyako Strait near Okinawa Prefecture and into the western Pacific, south of Shikoku, before returning the way they came.<\/p>\n
South Korea also said it had scrambled fighter jets after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone the same day, the Yonhap news agency reported. The Chinese and Russian aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace.<\/p>\n