After the joint aerial strategic cruise between China and Russia, the Japanese Ministry of Defense recently announced that U.S. B-52 bombers and Japanese fighter jets flew over the Sea of Japan in a joint flight. The Japanese side claims that this move aims to demonstrate readiness and to prevent any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo.

On the other hand, the U.S. side attempts to downplay this action, stating that it was planned in advance and is not the first time. A White House spokesperson stated that Trump is still able to maintain a good working relationship with China while also maintaining a very strong alliance with Japan.