Russia and China deployed a combined force of air and naval units—including long-range bombers and an aircraft carrier—for a joint patrol and training mission near Japan on Tuesday, underscoring deepening military coordination between Moscow and Beijing amid rising regional tensions.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the joint air patrol was not directed against any third country. The Chinese military echoed that position, saying the maneuver demonstrated the two forces’ ability to address security challenges while contributing to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Japan, however, responded with heightened vigilance. The Ministry of Defense said fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the Russia–China air formation as it flew near Japanese airspace. Tokyo also dispatched a warship to monitor and collect intelligence on China’s aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, which has been operating east of Japan’s southwestern islands. The move followed a reported “radar lock-on” incident involving Chinese forces last week, which had already raised concerns within Japan’s defense establishment.
Russia and China have steadily expanded military cooperation under what both sides describe as a partnership “without limitations.” In recent years, they have conducted regular joint patrols, naval exercises, and strategic bomber flights, signaling their shared intent to challenge U.S. influence and the network of American-led security alliances in Europe—through NATO—and in Asia, particularly those involving Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
Tuesday’s maneuvers took place against the backdrop of strained relations between Tokyo and the Moscow–Beijing axis. China has sharply criticized Japanese officials for suggesting the country could play a military role in the event of a Chinese blockade or attack on self-ruled Taiwan. Russia, meanwhile, has objected to Japan’s willingness to host U.S. midrange missile systems, which Moscow argues would directly threaten its security in the Far East.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the joint air patrol lasted around eight hours and involved Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers alongside Chinese H-6K bombers. The aircraft flew over the Sea of Japan—also known as the East Sea—the East China Sea, and parts of the western Pacific.
In a statement, China’s Defense Ministry said the two sides had conducted their 10th joint strategic air patrol in the region, describing it as part of an “annual cooperation plan” between the militaries of Russia and China. The ministry framed the operation as routine and defensive in nature.
Footage released by the Chinese military offered additional insight into the scale of the operation. According to a military analyst cited in Japanese media, the air formation included Chinese J-11BS, Su-30MK2, and J-16 fighter jets, as well as KJ-500A airborne early warning aircraft, highlighting the level of coordination and the emphasis on integrated air operations.
Japan’s Joint Staff Office said it tracked at least five Russian and 10 Chinese military aircraft flying over waters near three of Japan’s four main islands—Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku—while remaining outside Japan’s territorial airspace. The aircraft operated within Japan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), an area extending beyond territorial airspace where aircraft are required to identify themselves for early warning purposes.
The joint patrol also passed over two strategically important waterways: the Tsushima Strait, which lies between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, and the Miyako Strait, a vital corridor linking the East China Sea with the Philippine Sea. Both straits are considered critical chokepoints for military and commercial traffic.
At the same time, China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning—one of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s three carriers—continued operations in the Philippine Sea, east of Japan’s southwestern islands and south of Kyushu. Japan’s Joint Staff Office reported that the carrier, accompanied by three other naval vessels, was tracked sailing southwest in waters east of Kitadaitojima, a small island about 223 miles east of Okinawa.
Japanese officials emphasized that the Liaoning-led task group was operating beyond Japan’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ), placing it outside areas under Tokyo’s direct jurisdiction. The carrier was first detected on Friday in the East China Sea, outside Japan’s EEZ, before transiting the Miyako Strait and entering the Philippine Sea, where it maneuvered northeast before turning southwest.
This marks the Liaoning’s second deployment since June in waters between the so-called First and Second Island Chains—geostrategic lines stretching from Japan through Taiwan and the Philippines toward Guam. These island chains form a central element of U.S. maritime strategy aimed at limiting Chinese military access to the wider Pacific in the event of a conflict.
During its previous deployment, the Liaoning operated east of the Second Island Chain. As of Tuesday, it remained between the two chains, an area closely watched by the United States and its allies.
In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said the patrol was conducted as part of the 2025 military cooperation plan and “is not directed against third countries.” Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin said the far-sea training of the naval task group complied with international law and practice and did not target any specific country.
Japan’s Joint Staff Office struck a more cautious tone, saying Air Self-Defense Force fighters were scrambled on an emergency basis due to the possibility of airspace violations. “The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces will continue to ensure complete preparedness 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to protect our country’s territory and the peaceful lives of our citizens,” it said.
Russia and China are expected to continue joint military activities in the western Pacific as part of their broader effort to counter the U.S.–Japan alliance. Whether another combined patrol will take place before the end of the year remains an open question, but regional observers say the latest operation reinforces a clear message: Moscow and Beijing intend to maintain a visible and coordinated military presence near Japan.
