As their warships encircle Japan, what signals are China and Russia sending?

The recent joint patrol between China and Russia around the Japanese archipelago showed how the nations’ military cooperation was becoming “progressively more ambitious”, analysts said. The Japanese defence ministry revealed on Tuesday that three Chinese naval vessels – Type 055 and Type 052D missile destroyers alongside a Type 903 support ship – were spotted moving southwest through the Korea Strait between Sunday and Monday. The ministry said that Maritime Self-Defence Force vessels and patrol aircraft conducted surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations along the route taken by the Chinese naval ships. The manoeuvre followed the recent conclusion of a 17-day China-Russia joint…