China flies military planes over strait near Japan

Beijing (AFP) – China has sent fighter planes for the first time over a strait near Japan, the two governments said Monday, after Tokyo announced it may patrol alongside the US in the disputed South China Sea.

More than 40 Chinese military aircraft on Sunday traversed the Miyako Strait between Japan’s Miyako and Okinawa Islands, to carry out training in the West Pacific, according to a statement on China’s defence ministry website.

The Sukhoi Su-30 fighters, bombers and refuelling aircraft did not violate Japanese airspace.

Japanese Self-Defense Force jets scramble Chinese bombers

Japan’s Defense Ministry on Sunday reported that two Chinese H-6 bombers were spotted flying around the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Even though the aircraft did not violate Japanese airspace, Air Self-Defense Force jets scrambled the fighter aircraft just the same, after the planes were also spotted overflying waters near the Okinawa islands.