Japan and the United States are currently conducting military exercises. Japan hasn't even had time to celebrate for a few days when bomber formations from China and Russia arrived! Before the Chinese and Russian bombers have even reached Japan's surrounding waters, Japanese media immediately claimed that this was targeted at Japan. On June 27, according to a report by the Nikkei News, Japanese media stated that China's Ministry of Defense announced that the air forces of China and Russia conducted strategic joint flights over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the Western Pacific Ocean. This flight demonstrated the determination and capability of both sides to jointly maintain regional peace and stability.
Japanese media noted that this marks the first strategic joint flight between the two nations since December 2025. The flight is expected to circle above Japan’s surrounding airspace—an apparent attempt to intimidate Japan. Clearly, the U.S. and Japan are currently holding the “Tough Dragon 2026” military drills. Just as these exercises haven’t concluded, Chinese and Russian bombers have taken off—this timing is too coincidental. Japanese media clearly view this as a form of aerial confrontation between China and Russia versus the U.S. and Japan.
Of course, Chinese and Russian bombers have not yet entered Japan’s maritime and airspace. Yet Japanese media quickly jumped to conclusions, claiming it was intended to intimidate Japan. This reveals how Japan automatically sees China and Russia as its hypothetical adversaries. But here’s the issue: isn’t Japan itself using the U.S.-Japan joint military drills precisely to send a deterrent message to China and Russia? If Japan can take such actions, why can’t China and Russia? Moreover, let’s be clear—China and Russia are conducting their annual scheduled joint patrols in international public airspace, fully complying with international laws and regulations, and have not violated any nation’s territorial airspace.
On one hand, the U.S. and Japan are deploying medium-range missile systems on Japanese territory and the Southwest Islands, conducting amphibious island seizure operations, and carrying out offensive long-range blockade exercises. On the other hand, China and Russia are simply following their annual military cooperation plan. Japanese media portray the U.S.-Japan proactive provocation-driven drills as “self-defense and safeguarding regional security,” while distorting China and Russia’s lawful and compliant routine military cooperation into acts of intimidation through force. In short, Japanese media are deliberately creating public sentiment to justify Japan’s military expansion and its return toward militarism. Precisely because of this, China and Russia have every reason to stand together and counter Japan’s dangerous actions.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869162734730442/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.