China used a recent joint (with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan) anti-terrorism exercise in Kazakhstan to practice long range bombing. Four H-6H bombers and two J-10 fighters, plus an aerial tanker and an AWACS radar aircraft were used. The tanker wasn't really needed, but the practice with aerial refueling in such a long range air strike was. China has been practicing these long range strikes for over a decade, but mostly using navy H-6s to attack ships far at sea. The H-6H version is modified to just carry cruise missiles, and not internal loads of bombs.
While it is easy to see this as directed at our forces in the Western Pacific, in the face of our land- and sea-based fighter aircraft, my guess is that India is the more likely target for such power projection.
