Russia, along with China, has not been standing still while the U.S.-led provocations have been piling up. Yesterday, a pair of Russian TU-95MS bombers flew a joint patrol with Chinese H-6K bombers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. “These exercises … were carried out in order to ensure the global strategic stability via joint efforts of China and Russia,” the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement, reported TASS. The PLA website, China Military, reported Nov. 19 that it was the third joint aerial strategic patrol conducted by the Chinese and Russian militaries, “aiming to further develop the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era, upgrade the level of strategic coordination and joint operational capabilities of the two sides, and jointly protect global strategic stability.”