Japan Says China, Russia Jets Flew Nearby As Quad Met

Chinese and Russian fighter jets carried out joint flights near Japan on Tuesday as leaders of the Quad bloc met in Tokyo, the Japanese defense minister said.

Nobuo Kishi said the government had expressed "grave concerns" to Russia and China over the flights, which took place while leaders from the United States, India, Australia and Japan held talks on regional security.

The planes did not breach territorial airspace, the defence ministry told AFP, and it was the fourth time since November that long-distance joint flights by Russia and China had been spotted near Japan.