The 6th Air Wing of Japan Air Self-Defense Force's F-15 fighters hold a joint military drill with the U.S. B-52 bomber over Sea of Japan on Wednesday.Defense Ministry of Japan/Reuters
Two U.S. nuclear-capable bombers joined Japanese fighter jets in a drill over the Sea of Japan earlier this week, Tokyo said Thursday, in a pointed show of force that follows Chinese and Russian war games in the region.
The deployment of the B-52 warplanes is Washington’s strongest gesture of support for Japan in the face of a relentless pressure campaign by China sparked by a diplomatic spat over the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
Last month, new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan – long threatened by Beijing – could pose an “existential threat” to Japan, and justify a military intervention by Tokyo. Her comments were met with fury from China, which unleashed a torrent of abuse against Ms. Takaichi in state media, froze diplomatic and trade talks and urged Chinese tourists not to visit Japan.
Recent weeks have seen a growing Chinese coast guard presence around disputed territories in the East China Sea controlled by Japan, and over the weekend, Chinese fighter jets locked their radars on Japanese planes shadowing them near the southern island of Okinawa, a move that would precede an attack and was described by Tokyo as highly dangerous.
On Tuesday, both Japan and South Korea scrambled aircraft to respond to a joint Chinese-Russian bomber patrol near the edge of their respective airspaces.
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“The repeated joint flights of bombers by both countries signify an expansion and intensification of activities around our country, while clearly intending to demonstrate force against our nation, posing a serious concern for our national security,” Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi wrote on social media.
The move also prompted a more forceful response from Washington, which so far has largely tried to stay out of the Japan-China spat, with the State Department describing Beijing’s actions as “not conducive to regional peace and stability.”
“The U.S.-Japan Alliance is stronger and more united than ever,” it added in a statement. “Our commitment to our ally Japan is unwavering, and we are in close contact on this and other issues.”
NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte also expressed “grave concerns” over the radar incident in a meeting with Mr. Koizumi on Wednesday, according to a Japanese readout.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the drills with Russia were part of the two countries’ annual co-operation plan, demonstrating both sides’ determination to “safeguard regional peace and stability.”
“The Japanese side has no need to make a fuss about nothing or to take this personally,” he added.
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Earlier in the week, Mr. Guo indicated Beijing had no intention of easing up on Tokyo, saying “the Japanese side needs to face up to what actually caused the current difficulties facing China-Japan relations, do serious soul-searching and correct its wrongdoing, and retract Prime Minister Takaichi’s erroneous remarks on Taiwan.”
While Ms. Takaichi has suggested she regretted her remarks, which went slightly further but did not significantly depart from what other Japanese leaders have said in the past, she has refused to retract them.
Taiwan is a former Japanese colony and Tokyo still controls territory just off the Taiwanese coast. Indeed, Chinese missiles have landed in Japanese territorial waters during war games around Taiwan. Most Japanese assume a war over Taiwan would necessarily draw in Japan, if for no other reason than the country hosts a major U.S. military presence, which it is assumed would be involved in any such conflict.
Before she became Japanese leader, Ms. Takaichi was a firm supporter of Taiwan, and Taipei has sought to use the current crisis to build relations with Japan, encouraging its citizens to visit the country and buy Japanese goods.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Taiwan President William Lai said China’s recent actions had been “very inappropriate.”
“We also call upon China to demonstrate the responsibility befitting a major power,” Mr. Lai said. “Peace is priceless; war has no winners. Peace must be fostered by all parties, and China shares this responsibility.”
With reports from Reuters