Tokyo: Japan's Air Self-Defense Force conducted joint fighter jet drills with the US military over the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, as tensions between Tokyo and Beijing continue to rise over Taiwan and recent air encounters.

According to Anadolu Agency, Japan's Joint Staff reported that Wednesday's exercise involved two US B-52 bombers and six Japan-operated fighter jets-three F-35s and three F-15s-in a show of combined strength. The drills were conducted one day after Chinese and Russian bombers flew a joint long-range mission from the East China Sea to the Pacific. Although Tokyo scrambled fighters in response, the aircraft did not enter Japanese airspace.

Japan's Joint Staff emphasized that the bilateral exercise reaffirms the strong will between Japan and the US not to tolerate unilateral changes to the status quo by force. It also demonstrates the readiness of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and US Armed Forces, further strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US Alliance.

US Pacific Air Forces highlighted on social media platform X that the exercise demonstrated "our readiness and response capabilities," adding that "training together reaffirms our commitment to the US-Japan Alliance and strengthens deterrence to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific."

This development follows Tokyo's claim on Saturday that Chinese J-15 aircraft from the carrier Liaoning had locked radar on two Japanese F-15 jets over the high seas southeast of Okinawa's main island. China, however, described the maneuvers as "professional, secure, restrained and beyond dispute," noting that it is "common practice" for carrier-borne aircraft to switch radar on during training.

Tensions between China and Japan have been escalating since November 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally constitute a "survival-threatening situation," potentially allowing Japan to "exercise the right of collective self-defense." Beijing criticized these remarks, urged Chinese tourists to avoid Japan, suspended seafood imports, and postponed a trilateral culture ministers' meeting with Japan and South Korea.