China To Deploy H-6K Bombers And Tankers For 'Regular Patrols' Near Taiwan Strait

China will continue to maintain its military presence in the Indo-Pacific as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has announced plans to deploy H-6K bombers and aerial tankers for "regular" patrols near Taiwan.

According to PLA Air Force spokesman Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, the long-range strategic H-6K bombers had already conducted "countless" operations near the island in the last few years. "The H-6Ks – along with other fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, early warning aircraft and [aerial] tankers – will continue to fulfill these missions," Shen was quoted by South China Morning Post.

Shen also showed photos of H-6K bombers carrying out patrols over the Bashi Channel, the Miyako Strait, the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait during his interaction with reporters at an air force open day in Changchun, Jilin province.

His public statement comes hours after two U.S. guided-missile cruisers from the U.S. Seventh Fleet – the USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville - sailed through the Taiwan Strait Sunday.

China's H-6K bomber has a combat range of more than 3,500km (2,200 miles) and can mount long-range CJ-20 cruise missiles for attacks on land and sea targets.

According to Chinese mouthpiece Global Times, though the H-6K is not a stealth warplane, it is equipped with very advanced weapons, including air-launched cruise missiles, enabling it to attack targets far away. Regional analysts believe together with J-20 stealth fighters, H-6Ks could devastate the enemy's fighting capability even before a war gets fully underway.

The YU-20 aerial tanker – the refueling variant of the Y-20 transport aircraft – also made its debut at the Changchun Air Show on Sunday. Shen had earlier said that the YU-20 was being used in combat-readiness training and would improve the long-range operational capabilities of other PLA warplanes. The YU-20 was also spotted on a PLA patrol near Taiwan for the first time in November.

Meanwhile, Taiwan continues to track an increased presence of Chinese aircraft and naval ships near its coast. On Monday, Taipei officials said they spotted 37 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships around the island. Of these, 12 planes crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, including eight Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets in the northeast section of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and two Shenyang J-11 jet fighters.