Sino-Russian joint air patrol did not enter Japanese, South Korean airspace

Chinese and Russian aircraft participating in a joint air patrol exercise in East China on Tuesday strictly followed international rules and did not violate any nation's airspace, a National Defense Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian said that China had sent two H-6K bombers to fly alongside two Russian Tu-95 bombers for the first-ever joint air patrol exercise between the two militaries in Northeast Asia.

The scheduled exercise is meant to improve combat coordination and joint operational capabilities that will help maintain a global strategic balance. It does not target any third party, Wu said at the news conference.