On Thursday, China and Russia conducted their eighth joint aerial strategic patrol, flying bombers over the Bering Sea for the first time.
This mission marked the farthest point Chinese bombers have reached, as reported by Global News.
According to Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, the joint patrol was part of an annual plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries.
The mission aimed to test and improve coordination between the two air forces, building mutual trust.
Zhang stressed that the operation did not target any third party and followed international laws.
NORAD's Detection
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) spotted two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday.
The aircraft stayed in international airspace and did not enter US or Canadian airspace.
Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng noted that this patrol marked the first time Chinese bombers reached near Alaska.
The H-6 bombers, now upgraded, can carry long-range missiles capable of striking targets from a distance. This allows them to operate out of hostile interception range.
In a previous patrol in November 2022, Chinese aircraft landed in Russia and Russian aircraft landed in China. For this latest mission, Chinese bombers likely took off from Russian territory, closer to North Pacific waters.
Naval Presence
Before the bombers' patrol, Chinese warships were seen in the North Pacific.
The US Coast Guard reported encountering four Chinese military ships in international waters in the Bering Sea north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands.
Zhang Xiaogang said these ships were conducting regular training to boost combat readiness, without targeting any country.
The China-Russia joint aerial patrol followed a recent joint naval patrol from the northern Pacific to the South China Sea and a joint naval exercise off China's southern coast.
In response to the US discomfort with the Chinese military presence near its territory, a Chinese military expert, speaking anonymously, suggested that the US should reflect on its own military presence near China.
