Russian and Chinese jets patrol the skies of East Asia, capping Biden’s trip – Reuters

The flags of China and Russia are shown in this illustration photo taken March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration

May 24 (Reuters) – Russian and Chinese military aircraft conducted joint drills on Tuesday to patrol the Asia-Pacific region in a pointed farewell to U.S. President Joe Biden as he wrapped up a trip to Asia that shocked Beijing .

Japan sent jets after Russian and Chinese warplanes approached its airspace as Tokyo hosted leaders of the Quad group of countries, which includes the United States, the defense minister said Nobuo Kishi, who called the move a provocation. Read more

It was the first joint military exercise by China and Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24, according to a US official, and it came at the end of Biden’s four-day trip.

“We believe this shows that China continues to be willing to align closely with Russia, including through military cooperation,” a senior administration official said, adding that such actions must be planned well in advance. Read more

“China is not walking away from Russia. Instead, the exercise shows that China is ready to help Russia defend its East while Russia fights in the West,” the official said. .

Biden stressed on the trip, intended in part to counter China’s growing influence in the region, that the United States would stand with its allies and partners to push for an Indo-Pacific region. free and open.

Beijing and Moscow declared a “limitless” partnership just weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, and China has refused to condemn the move.

The joint patrol lasted 13 hours over the Japan and East China Seas and involved Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers and Chinese Xian H-6 jets, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. .

Planes from the Japanese and South Korean air forces followed the Russian and Chinese planes for part of the exercise, he added.

Tokyo has raised “serious concerns” with Russia and China through diplomatic channels, Kishi told a news conference.

He called the incident a likely provocation by Beijing and Moscow on a day when Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australia’s newly elected leader Anthony Albanese were meeting in Tokyo.

“We believe the fact that this action was taken at the Quad summit makes it more provocative than in the past,” he said, adding that it was the fourth such incident since November.

Chinese navy ships likely participated in the joint exercise, a US official said.

China’s Defense Ministry confirmed the joint air patrol over the Sea of ​​Japan, East China Sea and Western Pacific and called it part of an annual military exercise. Read more

On Monday, Biden angered China by saying he would be prepared to use force to defend Taiwan, but later said US policy toward the self-ruled democratic island had not changed. China regards Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory which should be reunited with the mainland.

Tuesday’s drill was the first reported since new South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office on May 10. criticized Russia’s war in Ukraine.

South Korea’s military said it scrambled fighter jets after at least four Chinese and four Russian fighter jets entered its air defense zone. Read more

Russian and Chinese planes flew in and out of the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (Korea ADIZ) in the Sea of ​​Japan, known in Korea as the East Sea, several times a day, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The plane, which included fighter jets and bombers on either side, did not violate South Korean airspace, he said.

South Korea had no warning about the apparent drills, a military source in Seoul said. When Seoul saw the plane appeared to be heading towards the defense area, it used hotlines to notify its Chinese and Russian counterparts, the source said.

China replied that it was a regular exercise, the source added, while there was no response from Russia.

Unlike airspace, an Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, is generally an area where countries can unilaterally require foreign aircraft to take special measures to identify themselves, without international laws governing ADIZ.

Reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo Satoshi Sugiyama in Tokyo, Michael Martina in Washington, Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith in Seoul, Reuters bureau; Written by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis

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