Japan on Thursday expressed “severe concerns” over China-Russia aerial strategic patrol in the Asia-Pacific region, and reportedly said it plans to designate China as its top regional challenge in its National Security Strategy by the end of 2022. Chinese experts said it reflects Tokyo’s political opportunism amid recent positive signals in China-Japan relations. They urged Japan to listen to domestic rational voices on China rather than follow the US in containing China and ending up in a worse situation.
According to a Reuters report on Thursday, Japan will closely monitor the increasing cooperation between China and Russia with a sense of concern and decisively protect its territories, said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno at a news conference after Chinese and Russian militaries conducted a joint aerial strategic patrol in the Asia-Pacific region on Wednesday.
