Joint Chinese-Russian patrol near Alaska was expected: Pentagon chief
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Austin chose not to comment on any intelligence regarding the patrol but mentioned that the aircraft did not enter US airspace.
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Russian, Chinese bombers stage joint patrol near Alaska, July 25, 2025 (Screengrab, Russian MoD)
At a press briefing on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the joint patrol of Chinese and Russian aircraft near Alaska this week did not surprise the US.
"Regarding the Russian and Chinese aircraft that flew together in the north here recently, this was not a surprise to us," Austin said. "We closely monitored these aircraft, tracked the aircraft, intercepted the aircraft."
Austin chose not to comment on any intelligence regarding the patrol but mentioned that the aircraft did not enter US airspace.
Footage from a joint flight of two Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS and two Chinese Xian H-6K strategic bombers.
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) July 25, 2024
Russian Defense Ministry said that the bombers performed an air patrol over the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea waters and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.
At one point, the… https://t.co/awIZTrHv06 pic.twitter.com/Wt7ThT5aGF
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that a group of Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-95MS and PLA Air Force H-6K aircraft conducted an air patrol over the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, and northern Pacific Ocean.
The mission was part of the 2024 Russian-Chinese military cooperation plan. According to the ministry, the jets operated in compliance with international law and did not violate any foreign airspace.
Canada and the US later issued a joint statement, saying they intercepted Russian and Chinese military aircraft near Alaska.
"Fighter jets from the United States and Canada conducted the intercept," the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said, noting that the warplanes "remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace," and they were "not seen as a threat."
Read more: US, Canada intercept Russia, China warplanes after joint naval parade
The Western world is infamous for establishing double standards in both politics and media, especially regarding Russia and China's latest joint naval exercises conducted from the northern Pacific Ocean to the South China Sea.
The joint military drills have been described as "confronting NATO" by Western media. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea frequently partake in military training sessions together intended to prepare for a potential war on the Korean Peninsula.
Unlike the US and South Korea, China and Russia's military cooperation aims to combat hegemony and promote peace and stability amid rising international security issues, according to analysts.
US-based news outlet Newsweek referred to the Jiaozuo's voyage across the Baltic Sea to reach St Petersburg as "sailing past NATO's sea borders" or into the "NATO lake."
The Western double standards are depicted through US warships using the South China Sea to make transits through the Taiwan Straits and direct military exercises against China, the Global Times reported on Wednesday, citing a Beijing-based military expert.
