China-Russia bomber patrol a day after US sanctions upsets Seoul, Tokyo

Name: Chinese and Russian bombers fly joint patrol over Pacific
Uploaded: 2020-12-23T10:00:09.000Z
Duration: 1 min 3 s
Description: Chinese and Russian bombers fly joint patrol over Pacific

Japan scrambles fighter jets as six warplanes fly over islands controlled by South Korea but which it also claims

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells his Russian counterpart the two neighbours must ‘maintain stable relations in a chaotic world’ as Washington hits both countries with new sanctions

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Four Chinese H-6K strategic bombers joined two Russian Tu-95s in a joint exercise on Tuesday over the western Pacific. Photo: AP

Rachel Zhang

Published: 6:00pm, 23 Dec 2020Updated: 4:34pm, 25 Dec 2020

Chinese and Russian bombers took part in a joint patrol over the western Pacific on Tuesday, a day after the two countries were hit with fresh sanctions from the United States, but sparking concern in South Korea and Japan.

The four Chinese H-6Ks and two Russian Tu-95s flew together over the Sea of Japan – also known as the East Sea – and the East China Sea in an exercise that was part of an annual programme of military cooperation, China’s defence ministry said.

On Monday, the US announced new curbs on Chinese and Russian companies – many of them in the aviation sector – buying American technology.

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Chinese and Russian bombers fly joint patrol over Pacific

According to Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Tuesday that the two neighbours should seek to “maintain stable relations in a chaotic world”.

“The United States continues to wield the big stick of unilateral sanctions, which will only makes its record in the world more disgraceful,” his ministry quoted him as saying.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart the two neighbours should “maintain stable relations in a chaotic world”. Photo: Reuters

Despite the show of solidarity, the exercise rang alarm bells in Seoul and Tokyo, as the six bombers entered the air defence identification zone around the South Korea-controlled Dokdo islands, a small group of islets that are also claimed by Japan.