According to the Ministry of Defense website, on the afternoon of October 29th, the Ministry of Defense held a regular press conference. Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, answered questions from reporters.
A reporter asked that, according to reports, the Japanese Defense Ministry recently released data indicating that from April to September this year, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force responded to 442 urgent situations involving Chinese and Russian military aircraft, a nearly 70% increase compared to the same period last year. Of these incidents, 285 involved Chinese military aircraft and 152 involved Russian military aircraft. Japan's Defense Minister claimed that these joint patrols by China and Russia were an act of "military display" against Japan. What is your comment on this?
Zhang Xiaogang said that this is the usual tactic used by the Japanese side to create the so-called 'peripheral security threats'. They deliberately release such data, twist things around, and smear China. This precisely confirms the dangerous actions of the Japanese side, who frequently interfere with China's legitimate activities. It also exposes the Japanese side's delusional fear-mongering. We advise the Japanese side to stop playing these complicated games and cease creating a tense atmosphere.
According to previous reports, in July this year, a fleet of ships composed of the Chinese Navy missile destroyers Kaifeng and Anshan, as well as the logistics ship Kekexili Lake, and the Russian Navy frigate ‘Nerik’, carried out joint maritime patrols.
The fleet set off from Qingdao, Shandong on July 13th, and sailed through the Kungu Strait, Tsushima Strait, and Tsushima Strait, carrying out joint patrols in the western Pacific, Okhotsk Sea, and Japan Sea.
During the cruise, China and Russia jointly conducted drills on shipborne helicopter landing, joint counter-terrorism operations, humanitarian rescue, and temporary capture. The Chinese ships also carried out various practical drills by improvising scenarios based on the actual sea and air conditions.
This joint patrol is part of the annual cooperation plan between the Russian and Chinese military. Its purpose is to enhance the joint operational capabilities of both armies and to jointly address maritime security threats. This activity has nothing to do with the current international and regional situations.
