US and Japan Conduct Joint Military Drills Amid Escalating Tensions with China
The United States and Japan have conducted a joint military exercise in Japanese airspace, with US strategic bombers joining forces with Japanese fighter jets to demonstrate their military cooperation. The drills came as tensions with China escalate, with Chinese and Russian bombers flying together over western Japan just hours earlier.
The exercise, which took place on Wednesday, saw two US B-52 bombers fly alongside three Japanese F-35 stealth fighter jets and three F-15 fighters in the vicinity of Japanese airspace. The move was seen as a show of force by both countries, with officials citing a deteriorating security environment surrounding Japan.
China's military aircraft have been linked to several incidents that have strained relations between Tokyo and Beijing. Just days before the joint exercise, Chinese bombers flew together over western Japan, prompting Tokyo to scramble fighter jets despite no airspace violation being reported. Additionally, China has been accused of locking radar on Japanese jets in recent incidents.
The latest exercise was seen as a response to these incidents, with the US and Japan reaffirming their resolve to prevent unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force. The drills were held near Japanese waters above South Korea, with officials stressing that they were not in response to a specific incident but rather part of a broader strategy to enhance military cooperation between the two allies.
Washington has also taken umbrage with China's behavior, with US officials saying that the country's actions are "not conducive to regional peace and stability." The row over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory, has further exacerbated tensions between Japan and China.
The incident highlights the growing tensions in the region, with China's military expansion and aggressive behavior towards neighboring countries drawing strong responses from allies such as Japan.
The United States and Japan have conducted a joint military exercise in Japanese airspace, with US strategic bombers joining forces with Japanese fighter jets to demonstrate their military cooperation. The drills came as tensions with China escalate, with Chinese and Russian bombers flying together over western Japan just hours earlier.
The exercise, which took place on Wednesday, saw two US B-52 bombers fly alongside three Japanese F-35 stealth fighter jets and three F-15 fighters in the vicinity of Japanese airspace. The move was seen as a show of force by both countries, with officials citing a deteriorating security environment surrounding Japan.
China's military aircraft have been linked to several incidents that have strained relations between Tokyo and Beijing. Just days before the joint exercise, Chinese bombers flew together over western Japan, prompting Tokyo to scramble fighter jets despite no airspace violation being reported. Additionally, China has been accused of locking radar on Japanese jets in recent incidents.
The latest exercise was seen as a response to these incidents, with the US and Japan reaffirming their resolve to prevent unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force. The drills were held near Japanese waters above South Korea, with officials stressing that they were not in response to a specific incident but rather part of a broader strategy to enhance military cooperation between the two allies.
Washington has also taken umbrage with China's behavior, with US officials saying that the country's actions are "not conducive to regional peace and stability." The row over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory, has further exacerbated tensions between Japan and China.
The incident highlights the growing tensions in the region, with China's military expansion and aggressive behavior towards neighboring countries drawing strong responses from allies such as Japan.