Chinese, Russian Intrusion Into Airspace Is a Move Targeting US, South Korean Media Says

A Russian A-50 military aircraft flies near the disputed islands called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, in this handout picture taken by Japan Air Self-Defence Force and released by the Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan on July 23, 2019. Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan/HANDOUT via REUTERS

The recent intrusion by Russian and Chinese warplanes in airspace over the Sea of Japan was an intentional, carefully planned maneuver designed as a challenge to the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy, according to South Korean media.

The South Korean and Japanese governments claim the incursion took place July 23, when three Russian warplanes and three Chinese warplanes flew near a group of islets, known as Dokdo and Takeshima, respectively. The two countries both claim the islets as their own territory.