BEIJING – Two Chinese and two Russian long-range bombers were tracked flying over international waters near Alaska and U.S. and Canadian fighter jets were sent in response, their joint aerospace command said.
Chinese and Russian military activity on Wednesday was not seen as a threat, said the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD.
“NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and find presence with presence,” the command said in a press release.
While Russia’s military has long been active in the North Pacific, China has emerged as a new player in recent years as its growing navy and air force expands its presence further away from the country’s shores.
Chinese warships have appeared in international waters near Alaska, most recently in mid-July when the Coast Guard spotted four vessels in the US Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the coast.
In the latest incident, Chinese H-6 and Russian Tu-95 aircraft were flying in the U.S. North American Air Defense Identification Zone, an area beyond U.S. and Canadian airspace in which those countries require aircraft to be identified for reasons of national security.
The Japanese military has become increasingly concerned about joint China-Russia exercises with ships and warplanes as a potential threat to the security of Japan and the region.
A fleet of Russian and Chinese warplanes, including Tu-95s and H-6s, were seen flying together last December over the waters between Japan and Korea, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.
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