Yomiuri and Nikkei wrote that they learned from a GOJ source that on Thursday ASDF aircraft conducted joint drills with U.S. military B-52 strategic bombers over a wide area covering the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, including the Senkaku Islands. The papers wrote that this was the first time for joint drills between Japanese aircraft and U.S. B-25 bombers over an area near the Senkakus to be disclosed. Yomiuri speculated that the drills were aimed at demonstrating to China U.S.-Japan cooperation. Nikkei conjectured that the exercises were intended to send a warning to China, which is advancing into in the region.