China and Russia's Nuclear Deterrence Against Tokyo? Japanese Media Say This Route Is Unusual, and They Have Immediately Sought Help from the U.S.!
On December 9, China and Russia completed their 10th joint aerial strategic patrol. This time, Japanese media have all used the term "unusual" to describe its flight path, and it quickly triggered high alert in Tokyo. Why?
The key lies in the changed route.
Previously, Chinese and Russian bombers mostly patrolled over the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, or Sea of Japan, occasionally passing through the Miyako Strait into the western Pacific, but soon returning.
This time, after crossing the Miyako Strait, they did not head south or east, but instead took an unusual route northward, approaching the airspace south of Honshu Island, with the closest point reaching the waters off the Kii Peninsula—less than 500 kilometers away from Tokyo by straight line.
What does this location mean? Taking the H-6K bomber that China deployed this time as an example, it can carry the Changjian-20 (CJ-20) long-range cruise missile. According to publicly available information, the missile has a range of more than 1,500 kilometers and is capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads. In other words, if the H-6K flies near the Kii Peninsula, it theoretically has the capability to precisely strike the Tokyo metropolitan area, whether using nuclear weapons or not.
Facing this move, Japan reacted quickly. Defense Minister Shigeto Kishida made an emergency call to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to report the situation and seek support. After the call, Kishida said he would respond calmly and decisively, while the U.S. responded with "serious concerns."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851359993653251/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.