China-Russia joint air patrol shows resolve to maintain peace, stability

The joint strategic patrol conducted by Chinese and Russian air forces showed their shared resolve and capability to address regional security challenges and safeguard peace and stability, a Chinese defense spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to comments posted by a senior Japanese official regarding the China-Russia military operation.

In a post on Wednesday on the social media platform X, Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that the China-Russia joint air patrol was "clearly intended as a show of force" against Japan and posed a major concern for the country's national security.

In response, Zhang noted that the operation conducted on Tuesday over the East China Sea and the western Pacific was the 10th such mission between the two militaries and was carried out under their annual cooperation plan.

Xiang Haoyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said the operation demonstrated that both China and Russia intend to maintain regional strategic stability, sending a clear signal that no force will be allowed to undermine peace in the region.

"To some extent, the operation serves as a warning against recent provocations by right-wing forces in Japan," he said.

Xiang pointed out that Japan's recent provocations include its unfounded accusation that Chinese military aircraft intermittently locked radar onto Japanese fighter jets during a training mission, emphasizing that such claims were only driven by political motives.

"Japan is hyping up the issue despite lawful actions taken by the Chinese military and playing the victim in an attempt to win the sympathy of the international community," he added.

According to the People's Liberation Army Navy, its CNS Liaoning carrier group recently conducted far-sea training in the waters east of the Miyako Strait after publicly announcing relevant sea and air training zones.

Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi alleged on Sunday that Chinese military aircraft launched from the CNS Liaoning locked their radar onto Japanese F-15 jets on two separate occasions on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.

In response, the PLA Navy and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense issued statements on Sunday rejecting what they called deliberate smears by the Japanese side. The statements noted that Japanese aircraft had engaged in malicious close-in tracking and repeatedly intruded into the training zones designated and preannounced by China.

The PLA Navy said that Japanese actions "seriously affected the Chinese side's normal exercise and posed a serious threat to flight safety".

According to Nikkei Asia, speaking at a Japanese parliamentary budget committee meeting on Tuesday, Koizumi denied receiving navigational notification from China prior to Saturday's engagement between Chinese and Japanese warplanes.

However, in an audio recording released by China Media Group on Tuesday evening, a Japanese warship is heard acknowledging the advance alerts from the PLA Navy.

Yuyuantantian, an online news account affiliated to CMG, reported that the PLA Navy formation had repeatedly informed nearby Japanese ships of the planned training, and that the Japanese vessels confirmed receiving these alerts.

In the audio recording, a Chinese naval sailor is heard saying in both Chinese and English: "Our formation organizes shipboard aircraft flight training as planned."

A Japanese vessel, which identifies itself as vessel No 116 in the recording, is heard responding, "I have received your message."

The CMG report said that after the PLA Navy began the training, Japanese aircraft flew close by to disrupt the exercise and intruded into the preannounced training zones, at times coming less than 50 kilometers from Chinese fighter jets.

Reuters reported that on Wednesday, Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi admitted that a Chinese naval vessel had indeed notified Japanese ships of air drills, but claimed that the Chinese side had not provided details.

'Contradictory rhetoric'

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, questioned Japan's self-contradictory statements.

"Japan previously claimed it had received no prior notification of China's flight drill, but is now admitting that it was informed in advance. This kind of contradictory rhetoric shows that Japan first deliberately disrupted the exercise and then resorted to fabrication and hype. It is the provocateur responsible for orchestrating this political stunt and must undertake all responsibilities," Guo said at a daily news briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

Japan is yet to explain why even after receiving the notification, it sent warplanes into China's preannounced training areas to carry out close-in reconnaissance, he said. "Is Japan deliberately shifting the focus and trying to mislead the international community?"

"The Japanese side needs to face up to what actually caused the current difficulties facing China-Japan relations, do serious soul-searching and correct its wrongdoing, and retract the erroneous remarks on Taiwan made by its prime minister," Guo added.

jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn