NORAD says it tracked Chinese and Russian military planes off Alaska

BEIJING — Two Chinese and two Russian long-range bombers were tracked as they flew over international waters near Alaska. American and Canadian fighter jets were deployed in response, their joint aerospace command said.

According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the military activity by China and Russia on Wednesday is not seen as a threat.

“NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activities near North America and respond with presence for presence,” the command said in a news release.

While Russia’s military has long been active in the North Pacific, China has become a new player in recent years, with its navy and air force operating further and further from the country’s shores.

Chinese naval vessels have appeared in international waters near Alaska, most recently in mid-July when the coast guard has spotted four ships in the US Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the coast.

In the latest incident, the Chinese H-6 and Russian Tu-95 aircraft flew in the North American Air Defense Identification Zone, an area outside US and Canadian airspace where those countries require aircraft to be identified for national security reasons.

The Japanese military is increasingly concerned about the joint exercises between China and Russia involving ships and fighter jets, which pose a potential threat to the security of Japan and the region.

Last December, a fleet of Russian and Chinese fighter jets, including Tu-95s and H-6s, were seen flying together over the waters between Japan and Korea, Japan’s Defense Ministry reported.