中国与俄罗斯的四架战略轰炸机，7月25日在美国阿拉斯加附近的白令海进行联合空中战略巡航。这是中国轰炸机首次飞抵阿拉斯加附近。美国和加拿大紧急出动战斗机，对中俄轰炸机进行跟踪、监视和拦截。

美国国防部长奥斯汀隔天在五角大楼的新闻发布会上说，中俄战机并没有进入美国领空，最靠近时距离美国海岸大约200英里。他也说这四架轰炸机并没有对美国和加拿大构成威胁。

北京和莫斯科从2019年开始组织战略轰炸机联合巡逻，这次是第八次，也是第一次抵近阿拉斯加。在美国总统拜登宣布退选后，美国提前进入看守政府状态，中国是否利用这个时机采取激进的战略行动？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红和联合早报驻北京的记者于泽远解析中俄战略轰炸机联合巡逻是要发出什么信号？

延伸阅读：

• 于泽远：中国轰炸机抵近阿拉斯加
• 王毅与俄外长会面 称中俄要坚定相互支持

Last Wednesday, four Chinese and Russian bombers conducted a joint strategic air patrol over the Bering Sea, near Alaska. While Russian bombers frequently operate in this region, it was the first time Chinese bombers entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. The bombers were promptly tracked and intercepted by US and Canadian fighter jets.

The following day at a Pentagon press conference, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the aircraft did not enter US airspace, maintaining a distance of about 200 miles (320 kilometres) from the US coast. He emphasised that these flights were not perceived as a threat.

Since 2019, Beijing and Moscow have been conducting joint strategic air patrols, and this was their eighth such mission. The significance of these joint drills raises several questions: What message are China and Russia attempting to convey? 

With US President Biden's recent announcement that he will not seek re-election, is China capitalising on the perceived vulnerability of the US administration and seizing this opportunity to engage in more aggressive strategic manoeuvres?

Tune in to this episode of Global Heartbeat podcast as host Han Yong Hong and Lianhe Zaobao’s China News Copy Editor Yu Zeyuan delve into the implications of this incident and explore the broader geopolitical context.

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor, Han Yong Hong, Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Spotify and other podcast platforms.