US and Japanese military aircraft carried out joint exercises on Thursday, Tokyo’s joint chiefs of staff said, in a pointed display of alliance strength just two days after China and Russia conducted coordinated air and naval patrols near Japan, and after weeks of diplomatic feuding between Beijing and Tokyo.
“Through this exercise, we confirmed the strong resolve of Japan and the United States not to allow any unilateral change of the status quo by force, as well as the readiness of the Self-Defence Forces and the US military,” the joint chiefs said in a statement on X.
On Tuesday, China and Russia deployed bombers, naval vessels and an aircraft carrier for joint training missions that passed through areas around Japan.
“Russia-China patrol not aimed at a third country”
The Russian Defence Ministry said the patrol was not aimed at any third country, while China said the mission showcased their combined ability to address regional security challenges and maintain stability.
According to Moscow, the eight-hour air patrol featured Russian Tu-95MS and Chinese H-6K bombers flying over the Sea of Japan (also known as the East Sea), the East China Sea and the western Pacific, part of a growing pattern of joint maneuvers that has alarmed defence officials in Tokyo and Washington.
Thursday’s US–Japan drills add to a series of stepped-up allied operations across the Indo-Pacific as regional tensions rise and security alignments sharpen.
Rising tensions between Japan and China
Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have been rising after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments backing Taiwan.
Takaichi suggested last month that Japan would intervene militarily in any Chinese attack on the self-ruled island.
Takaichi's comments enraged Beijing as China claims the self-ruled island as its own and has not ruled out seizing it by force.
