US nuclear-capable bombers flew over the Sea of Japan alongside Japanese fighter jets on Wednesday (Dec 10), Tokyo said, in a show of force following Chinese and Russian drills in the skies and seas around Japan and South Korea.

Japan and the US “reaffirmed their strong resolve to prevent any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force and confirmed the readiness posture of both the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) and US forces,” Japan’s defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The flight of two US B-52 strategic bombers with three Japanese F-35 stealth fighters and three F-15 air-superiority jets was the first time the US had asserted its military presence since China began military exercises in the region last week.

The display follows a joint flight of Chinese and Russian strategic bombers in the East China Sea and western Pacific on Tuesday, and separate Chinese aircraft carrier drills that prompted Japan to scramble jets that Tokyo said were targeted by radar beams.

China denied Tokyo’s accusation about the carrier aircraft encounter, saying Japanese jets had endangered its air operations south of Japan.

The incident drew criticism from Washington, which said it was “not conducive to regional peace and stability” and reaffirmed that its alliance with Japan was “unwavering”.