Recently, the South Korean Joint Staff Headquarters announced that six Chinese and Russian military aircraft had entered its so-called "air defense identification zone". In response, South Korean fighter planes took countermeasures in an emergency. According to reports, 2 medium-sized aircraft and 4 Russian military planes flew into the "air defense identification zone" from the north of Ulleungdo in the waters east of South Korea, flew east of Dokdo and left, stayed for about 17 minutes, and did not enter South Korean airspace. The current Sino-Russian joint patrol is different from the previous one: PLA fighters entered the Sea of Japan through the East China Sea-Tsushima Strait, but this time the Chinese fighters directly borrowed the airspace of the Russian Far East from northeast China and then went south to the Sea of Japan to cut into the rear of the ROK. According to the analysis of the South Korean side, this should be part of the Sino-Russian joint strategic air patrol. A relevant person from the General Staff of the South Korean Army said that after the Chinese and Russian military planes left the "air defense identification zone", they communicated with the Chinese side through direct communication and raised the situation that the Chinese military aircraft had not been notified in advance. There is no direct connection between Russia and South Korea, so the two sides have not been able to communicate. South Korea's so-called "air defense identification zone" is the same as Japan's "air defense identification zone", which is demarcated by them themselves, but we do not recognize it.
For example, Japan's "air defense identification zone" has been demarcated at China's national gate, only a kilometer above Zhoushan;South Korea's "Air Defense Identification Zone" is far northwest, just over 100 kilometers above Dalian. It is impossible for us to recognize this unauthorized "air defense identification zone", and if we do, it means that whenever a PLA military aircraft enters these airspace, it must report to the relevant countries. Therefore, the so-called "**" of the South Korean side is actually meaningless and equivalent to a murmur. If South Korea continues to be unrelenting, it may cancel this direct link in the future, as Russia did. The purpose of this article is to prevent miscalculations and accidents between the two sides in an emergency, not to make South Korea do these meaningless things. Although it has not yet been officially announced, judging from the information released by the South Korean side, China and Russia should have launched a new round of joint strategic air cruises. The joint strategic air patrols between China and Russia have been carried out six times, once a year from 2019 to 2021, and increased to two last year, in May and November, and once in June this year. The announcement of the joint patrol means that it has become a common practice for China and Russia to conduct joint air patrols twice a year: once in the first half of the year and once in the second half of the year.
In addition, in the first 6 joint cruises, China and Russia both sent the main H-6K and Tu-95 bombers, and this time, the lineup should not change much. During the cruise, there will also be a number of escort fighters and tankers responsible for replenishment. The main locations of the joint air patrols are over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean, and they strictly abide by the provisions of international law and will not enter the airspace of other countries. During a joint cruise held in November last year, Chinese and Russian military planes landed at each other's airports for the first timeFor the first time in June this year, the joint patrol was divided into two phases, which means that the two sides have the ability to carry out tasks according to actual needs during the patrol and deploy different patrol forces over different sea areas. The tasks of the Sino-Russian joint patrol mainly include three aspects. The first is training, so that the pilots are familiar with the route and launch position, and the actual combat situation is simulated on the spot;The second is to establish our presence in some important international airspace;Finally, in the event of an accident or even a conflict in the surrounding area, we can exert the necessary pressure on potential adversaries in this way to deter Xiaoxiao.
In addition, the trend of NATO's Asia-Pacific transformation is accelerating, and the Sino-Russian joint strategic air patrol is a strong signal to Japan, South Korea, and NATO: The rear of China and Russia will not allow external forces to act rashly. In 2021, NATO formulated the "Agenda 2030", which clearly stated that NATO should be more actively involved in global affairs, especially "Indo-Pacific affairs";Last year's NATO summit in Madrid invited the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand for the first time, and this year's NATO summit is no different. In May this year, it was revealed that NATO would set up an office in Japan next year. At the Camp David summit held in August, the three sides signed the Consultative Agreement. Re-theme: Sino-Russian joint strategic air patrols have become a common practice, sending a strong signal. From 2019 to 2021, China and Russia have conducted six consecutive joint strategic air patrols, which increased to two last year, in May and November, and once in June this year. This shows that it has become a routine practice for China and Russia to conduct joint air patrols twice a year: once in the first half of the year and once in the second half of the year.
In the past six joint cruises, China and Russia have sent their main H-6K and Tu-95 bombers, and this time the lineup is unlikely to change much. During the cruise, there will also be a number of escort fighters and tankers responsible for replenishment joining halfway. The main locations of the joint air patrols are over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean, and they strictly abide by the provisions of international law and will not enter the airspace of other countries. During a joint cruise in November last year, Chinese and Russian military planes landed at each other's airfields for the first timeFor the first time in June this year, the joint patrol was divided into two phases, which means that the two sides have the ability to carry out tasks according to actual needs during the cruise, and deploy different patrol forces over different sea areas. The tasks of the Sino-Russian joint patrol mainly include three aspects. The first is training, so that the pilots are familiar with the route and launch position, and the actual combat situation is simulated on the spot;The second is to establish our presence in some important international airspace;Finally, in the event of an accident or even a conflict in the surrounding area, we can exert the necessary pressure on potential adversaries in this way to deter Xiaoxiao.
In addition, the trend of NATO's Asia-Pacific transformation is accelerating, and the Sino-Russian joint strategic air patrol is a strong signal to Japan, South Korea, and NATO: The rear of China and Russia will not allow external forces to act rashly. In 2021, NATO formulated the "Agenda 2030", which clearly stated that NATO should be more actively involved in global affairs, especially "Indo-Pacific affairs";Last year's NATO summit in Madrid invited the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand for the first time, and this year's NATO summit is no different. In May this year, it was revealed that NATO would set up an office in Japan next year. At the Camp David summit held in August, the three sides signed the Consultative Agreement. The United States, Japan, and South Korea have yet to establish a trilateral "mutual defense" alliance, but the recently signed document has strengthened the institutionalized arrangements for trilateral cooperation, prompting speculation about the emergence of an "East Asian version of NATO." At the U.S.-Japan-ROK summit held in August, the three sides signed the Consultative Pact, which emphasized that "the three countries will promptly share information and negotiate responses to regional challenges and crises that affect the collective interests and security of the three countries."
This speculation is further reinforced by the fact that this formulation almost exactly coincides with Article IV of NATO's mutual defense treaty. Whether it is NATO's Asia-Pacific transformation or the "East Asian version of NATO" conceived by the United States, Japan, and South Korea, it poses a potential threat to China and Russia. The U.S. military deployment in the Asia-Pacific region confronts China, and at the same time, with the help of Japan and South Korea as a fulcrum, it has constructed another form of "NATO's eastward expansion" to form a flank attack on Russia from both the east and the west. In view of the strategic intentions of the United States, there is no reason for China and Russia to stay out of the situation: if the United States and its planes are active in the vicinity of China and Russia, then the Chinese and Russian planes can also "pay a return visit" around the United States and its allies and realize the "exchange of courtesies."