BEIJING — Two Chinese and two Russian military planes were spotted flying over international waters near Alaska and U.S. and Canadian fighter jets were scrambled in response, their Joint Aerospace Command said.
Chinese and Russian military activity on Wednesday was not perceived as a threat, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD, said.
“NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activity in the vicinity of North America and respond with presence,” the command said in a news release.
While the Russian military has long been active in the North Pacific, China has emerged as a new player in recent years, with its growing navy and air force extending their presence further from the country’s shores.
Chinese warships have appeared in international waters near Alaska, most recently in mid-July, when the Coast Guard spotted four vessels in the U.S. exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from shore.
In the latest incident, the Chinese and Russian planes were flying in the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone over North America, an area beyond U.S. and Canadian airspace in which those countries require aircraft to be identified for national security reasons.
