Chinese, Russian bombers patrolling off Alaska coast raise concerns about growing military cooperation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russian and Chinese bombers flew together for the first time in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, a new sign of growing military cooperation that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday raises concerns.

Wednesday’s flights were not considered a threat, and the bombers were tracked and intercepted by U.S. and Canadian fighter jets. But it was the first time Chinese bombers had flown inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. And it was the first time Chinese and Russian planes had taken off from the same base in northeastern Russia.

“This is a relationship that we have been concerned about all along, particularly as we worry about China’s support for Russia’s illegal and unnecessary war in Ukraine,” Austin told reporters.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, detected, tracked and intercepted the two Russian Tupolev Tu-95 long-range bombers and the two Chinese H-6 bombers. The aircraft, Austin said, did not enter U.S. airspace and came within about 200 miles (320 kilometers) of the coast.

However, they were within the ADIZ, which begins where sovereign airspace ends. Aircraft must be easily identifiable and submit flight plans for approval to meet national security requirements.

China and Russia both recognized what they called a joint patrol over the Bering Sea, which separates Russia and Alaska.

Their growing military relationship has raised concerns among NATO allies and countries in the Asia-Pacific region. NATO allies have called China a “decisive facilitator” of Russia’s war on Ukraine through its “no-limits partnership” with Russia and its extensive support for Russia’s defense-industrial base.

The allies issued a tough statement, which was approved by the 32 members at their summit in Washington earlier this month.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the patrol also flew over the Chukchi Sea, on the northern side of the Bering Strait, and that the exercises lasted more than five hours.

The joint patrol tested and improved coordination between the two air forces, said Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry. He said it was the eighth joint strategic air patrol since 2019. He declined to comment when asked if it was the first such patrol over the Bering Sea.

While Russia’s military has long been active in the North Pacific, China has become a new player in recent years, with its navy and air force operating further and further from the country’s shores.

Chinese state media called the maneuver “a major leap forward in the actual combat training capabilities of the Chinese air force,” according to Wang Mingzhi, a Chinese military expert interviewed by state broadcaster CCTV. Wang cited the fact that the mission was far from ground support and in unfamiliar territory, saying it demonstrated the support’s ability to operate effectively in long-range missions.

Shen Yi, a professor of international politics at Fudan University, wrote in his column that the Chinese flights were intended to demonstrate the country’s deterrent power and had symbolic significance in the US-China rivalry.

“China is enhancing its capabilities to effectively strategically game with the United States and maintain strategic stability,” Shen wrote. “As this system continuously improves, it can effectively deter the U.S.”

A photo released by Russia’s Defense Ministry showed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet escorting a Chinese bomber. Another photo posted online by the military channel of China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed Russian and Chinese long-wing bombers flying in parallel formation against a mostly blue sky.

The Japanese military is increasingly concerned about the joint exercises between China and Russia and the potential threat they pose to the security of Japan and the region.

A fleet of Russian and Chinese fighter jets, including Tu-95s and H-6s, were seen flying together over the waters between Japan and Korea last December, Japan’s Defense Ministry said. At the time, China’s Defense Ministry called it the seventh joint strategic air patrol with Russia.

Chinese naval vessels have been seen in international waters near Alaska, most recently in mid-July when the Coast Guard spotted four vessels in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from shore.

Zhang described the naval activities as routine training to prepare for combat readiness and said China would continue to conduct distant sea training to improve the capabilities of its forces.

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AP journalist Huizhong Wu contributed to this report from Bangkok.