The southwest Japanese island of Okinawa and Taiwan were targeted by bombers and drones from the Chinese air force, according to the country’s defence ministry on Friday.
On Friday morning, the ministry reported seeing two Chinese H-6 bombers flying through the strait that separates the Pacific and the East China Sea between the Okinawa and Miyako islands in southwest Japan.
One of the largest American military installations in the Asia-Pacific is located on Okinawa, which is also the focal point of the United States and Japan’s defensive buildup to prevent China from attacking Taiwan or the adjacent Japanese islands.
A second “likely Chinese” drone was reportedly seen flying between Taiwan and Japan’s westernmost island of Yonaguni, according to a separate statement from the ministry.
Japan sent out a jet fighter from its Air Self-Defense Force to pursue the drones when they went towards China’s mainland, the report added.
Early on Friday, the Taiwanese defence ministry reported increased Chinese military activities in the area of the island, including the entry of 13 aircraft into Taiwan’s “response” zone and the patrolling of five ships for war readiness.
