Japan scrambles jets to monitor Chinese bombers near Okinawa, drones near Taiwan
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Okinawa is home to one of the major American military bases in the Asia-Pacific.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Japan’s Defence Ministry on Friday said it scrambled jet fighters to monitor Chinese air force bombers flying near the country’s south-western Okinawa island, and drones near Taiwan.
Two Chinese H-6 bombers were spotted flying through the strait between south-west Japan’s Okinawa and Miyako islands connecting the East China Sea and the Pacific on Friday morning, the ministry said.
Okinawa is home to one of the major American military bases in the Asia-Pacific and the centre of Japan and the United States’ defence build-up to deter China from attacking Taiwan or nearby Japanese islands.
In a separate statement, the ministry said it also spotted a Chinese military drone and another “likely Chinese” drone flying between Japan’s westernmost Yonaguni island and Taiwan during the day.
Japan dispatched an Air Self-Defence Force jet fighter to follow the drones, which eventually turned towards mainland China, it said.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry had reported renewed Chinese military activity around the island earlier on Friday, including 13 aircraft entering Taiwan’s “response” zone and five ships carrying out combat readiness patrols. REUTERS
