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By Ryan Chan and John Feng
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The Russian and Chinese militaries have expanded their joint air patrols since 2019, with bombers—including those capable of carrying nuclear weapons—flying beyond East Asia into the broader Pacific and near Alaska, according to a Newsweek map.
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China's Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek that the military maneuvers were part of annual cooperation to demonstrate the two sides' determination and capability to jointly address regional security challenges.
Regarding the most recent, 10th joint air patrol conducted on December 9 near Japan, the Russian Defense Ministry previously said it was part of the Russia-China military cooperation plan for the year and denied that it was directed against third countries.
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Why It Matters
Russia and China—the world's largest and third-largest nuclear powers in terms of warhead numbers—have forged a so-called "partnership without limits," with Moscow and Beijing closely cooperating in military matters, including joint patrols and war games, as part of efforts to counter the United States and its European and Asian allies.
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A Chinese military analyst who spoke to Newsweek on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic said Russia-China joint bomber patrols are more political demonstrations than exercises with specific scenarios, as they lack "tactical clarity" and are mainly symbolic.
Russia's participation is aimed at demonstrating its military presence in the region while engaging in the war in Ukraine, the analyst said. The patrols meanwhile are more significant for China, as they are "almost a strategic centerpiece of its defense policy."
Beginning of a New Era
The first Russia-China joint air patrol was conducted on July 23, 2019, and involved two Russian Tu-95MS and two Chinese H-6K bombers that flew over the Sea of Japan—also known as the East Sea, which borders Russia's Far East—and the East China Sea.
The bomber formation flew over two key waterways near Japan: the Tsushima Strait, separating the Japanese archipelago from the Korean Peninsula, and the Miyako Strait, which lies between Japan's southwestern outlying islands of Okinawa and Miyako.
A Newsweek map shows that Russian and Chinese bombers operated within both South Korea's and Japan's air defense identification zones but beyond their sovereign airspace, which extends up to 13.8 miles from the coastline. Such zones are designed for early warning.
According to the Federation of American Scientists' Nuclear Information Project, the Tu-95MS bomber can fire nuclear missiles, but the H-6K bomber is not nuclear-capable.
A Persistent Force Presence
During the second to sixth patrols between 2020 and 2023, which also began over the Sea of Japan, Russian and Chinese aircraft extended their reach to the Philippine Sea, east of the Miyako Strait, unlike the maiden mission that did not fully transit the waterway.
The Miyako Strait is a strategic corridor on the First Island Chain, a north-south line formed by Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines under a U.S. strategy that aims to deter and defend against potential aggression by projecting U.S.-led allied military power.
In addition to extending their flight routes, Russia and China increased the frequency of the patrols in 2022—conducting them on May 24 and November 30— the first time such patrols had been carried out twice in a year.
During the November 2022 mission, the fifth overall, another milestone was reached as Russian and Chinese bombers made reciprocal visits to each other's airfields, signaling a high level of cooperation and mutual trust, China's state-run Global Times reported.
In 2023, for the second consecutive year, Russia and China conducted two air patrols, including one, the sixth overall, that for the first time spanned two days, June 6 and 7.
New Region, New Aircraft
The eighth patrol on July 25, 2024, marked the first time Russian and Chinese bombers flew outside East Asia during a joint mission, operating over the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea near Alaska, where they were intercepted by U.S. and Canadian fighter jets.
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The North American Aerospace Defense Command said at the time that the Russian and Chinese aircraft had remained outside U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace but had entered Alaska's air defense identification zone. It added that it did not view such activity in as a threat.
A pro-Kremlin military blogger published a map that appears to show all participating bombers took off from a Russian airfield in the country's northeasternmost region.
The ninth mission, which spanned November 29-30, 2024, marked the debut of China's H-6N bomber in the joint patrols. The aircraft, a nuclear-armed version of the H-6 family of aircraft, is designed to carry the JL-1 air-launched nuclear ballistic missile.
Approaching U.S. Ally's Doorstep
The latest patrol came amid ongoing tensions between China and Japan, with Tokyo raising the possibility of a military intervention if China were to blockade Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by Beijing near Japan's southwestern outlying territory.
While the flight was largely similar to previous missions, Russian and Chinese bombers took a northeastward route after passing through the Miyako Strait, flying toward three of Japan's four main islands—Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu, where Tokyo is located.
The bombers returned home through the Miyako Strait after reaching waters south of Shikoku and Honshu, on the southern edge of Japan's air defense identification zone, a Newsweek map shows.
Often considered a vital U.S. treaty ally in countering China's threat, Japan hosts about 60,000 American troops and their bases in return for security guarantees from Washington.
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The Chinese military analyst told Newsweek that the 10th bomber patrol was a political response to Japan without much real tactical significance and mirrored the movement of China's aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning in the same area between December 6 and 12.
The effect on Japan would be much more serious and relevant if Chinese bombers flew over the Sea of Japan toward Tokyo by crossing Russia's airspace, the analyst added.
What People Are Saying
A Chinese military analyst who spoke to Newsweek on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic said: "Although the scope of joint Russian-Chinese air patrols has been repeatedly expanded and changed, I believe this is more of a political demonstration than exercises with specific scenarios…neither side's bomber force is a dominant force in the region, making it difficult to cooperate effectively in real combat."
Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said: "It needs to be stressed that the China-Russia joint strategic air patrol is an operation carried out under the annual cooperation plan, and showcases the two sides' determination and capability in jointly responding to regional security challenges and keeping the region peaceful and stable."
Sergey Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, said: "Challenges in the field of global security and stability are multiplying and it requires us to regularly synchronize our watches in the spirit of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation…Russian-Chinese relations are not influenced by outside conditions and are based on the principles of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and mutual support."
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether Russia and China will conduct a second patrol this year. Both sides are expected to extend their bombers' reach in the future, potentially approaching Guam, the westernmost U.S. territory in the Pacific.
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