The Russian and Chinese defence ministries have officially announced that the air forces of the two countries conducted aerial patrol in the Asia-Pacific region.

The joint air patrol saw the deployment of a total of six strategic bombers.

The Russian Aerospace Forces’ two Tu-95MS and four Chinese Hong-6K aircraft flew over the waters of Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

A statement released by Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation read: “The Russian Aerospace Force and the Air Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted a second joint air patrol with long-range aircraft in the Asia-Pacific Region.

“An air group consisting of two Tu-95MS strategic bombers of Russia’s Aerospace Force and four Hong-6K strategic bombers of the Air Force of China’s People’s Liberation Army conducted the air patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.”

The bombers conducted the operations in ‘strict accordance’ with the international law provisions.

The joint air patrols were executed to strengthen and develop the relations between the two countries.

The ministry stated: “The airspace of foreign states was not violated.”

It further added that “event was held as part of the implementation of the provisions of the military cooperation plan for 2020 and is not directed against third countries.”

Meanwhile, Reuters reported South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying that Chinese and Russian military aircraft had ‘allegedly intruded’ into the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ).

In April, US Indo-Pacific Command confirmed that two air force bombers conducted a 32- hour round-trip sortie over the South China Sea.