Japan Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi has confirmed his country scrambled jets today after Russian and Chinese warplanes neared its airspace. Tokyo is currently hosting a Quad summit featuring leaders of the US, Australia and India, reports Reuters.
Kishi told a news conference that was broadcast online that Tokyo has conveyed "grave concerns" to both Russia and China through diplomatic channels following the incident. He claimed the warplanes were sent up as a likely provocation by both Beijing and Moscow on a day when US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australia's newly elected leader, Anthony Albanese, were meeting.
"We believe the fact that this action was taken during the Quad summit makes it more provocative than in the past," Kishi said, adding it was the fourth such incident since November.
