Chinese Air Force planes flew through the Tsushima Strait for the first time on Monday and carried out training in international airspace above the Sea of Japan, according to a statement from the military.
Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, an Air Force spokesman, said several types of aircraft — including the H-6K bomber and Su-30 multirole fighter jet — took part in the training exercise.
Speaking from an unidentified air base in eastern China, Shen said reconnaissance planes also took part, without elaborating on the models.
"The operation is part of the Air Force's annual training plan and complied with international laws and norms. It wasn't aimed at any specific nation, region or target," he said.
The statement said the Sea of Japan does not belong to Japan, and the Tsushima Strait is not part of any country's territorial waters, so any nation has the freedom to sail or fly through them.
