China air force conducted ‘multiple’ long-range missions

BEIJING: China’s air force said on Saturday that its fighters and bombers conducted “multiple” long-range drills far out at sea this week, including flying near Japan and self-ruled Taiwan, in what it said was a test of its ability to operate over the sea.

In a statement on its official microblog, the air force said its aircraft had flown through both the Miyako Strait - which lies between two southern Japanese islands - and the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan and the Philippines.

“China’s air force over the past week conducted multiple drills far out at sea, with H-6K bombers and many other types of aircraft flying through the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait, testing actual battle capabilities over the sea,”