Military drills are all the rage this summer.

Reporter Li Jing

Starting in June, the Asia-Pacific region is unusually intensive military exercises: the northern part of the Russian military exercises code-named "East-2010", the eastern part of the U.S.-led joint anti-piracy military exercises of 14 countries around the Pacific Rim, the western part of the anti-terrorism exercises in China and Pakistan; together with China's live-fire training in the East China Sea, the upcoming U.S.-South Korea military exercises and the U.S. and Singapore joint military training at sea, the Asia-Pacific region is entering a "military exercise season". Singapore's joint military training at sea, the Asia-Pacific region has just entered the "military exercise season".

　　

 

U.S. and Russian forces play the "lead" role.

　　By the United States, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand and other 14 countries to participate in the naval "Rim of the Pacific 2010" military exercises began on June 23 in the Hawaiian Sea border, the world's largest joint military exercise exercises The world's largest joint military exercise will continue until August 1st. The subjects of the exercise include anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare and landing maneuvers, and will use 34 warships, 5 submarines, hundreds of military aircraft and 20,000 military personnel.

　　The Pacific Rim Exercise Series began in 1971 and has been conducted once every two years, and this year is the 22nd time. This exercise is not only more massive than in 2008, and as the leading party of the U.S. military is to send a variety of elite equipment on land, sea and air, the U.S. Army F-22A fighter jets for the first time this year to participate in the exercise. Hawaii local media described as "a tidal wave of naval vessels from the Asia-Pacific countries to Pearl Harbor rally ......" in this year's "Rim of the Pacific" exercise, anti-submarine warfare has become the grand finale. The centerpiece of the exercise is the submarine combat training against the backdrop of the situation in East Asia. It is said that South Korea and Japan each sent a conventional submarine arrived in Pearl Harbor in advance to prepare for the exercise. The Littoral Combat Ship, a transformational tool for the U.S. Navy, is participating for the first time, which is a highlight. The exercise's program design supervisor, the Pacific Forum Strategic Anticipation Research Center's Karl Becker said in a media interview, the exercise is the United States and allied maritime strength of the display, the purpose is to coordinate the countries of the maritime coordinated combat capability, at the same time to ensure that the U.S. in the South China Sea sea corridor is unobstructed.

　　Shortly after the start of the U.S. "Rim of the Pacific" exercises, on June 29, the Russian Armed Forces began large-scale exercises in the Far East and Siberia. The exercise, called "East-2010", is considered to be the largest strategic battle drill in the Far East in the history of the Russian military. All of Russia's standing army units stationed in the Siberian Military District and the Far East Military District are taking part in the exercise, while airborne troops, aviation and strategic rocket forces are on the scene, with a total of 20,000 troops participating in the exercise.On July 4, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, dressed in a white naval uniform, inspected a nuclear-powered missile cruiser on board the Peter the Great. On July 4, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, dressed in a white naval uniform, inspected the military exercises on board the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great.

　　Russia every two years to hold a strategic exercise in the East, this time to participate in the exercise troops not only from Russia, the Siberian Military District, the Far East Military District, but also includes the Urals, Volga and other military districts, as well as the Russian Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Security Service, etc., the content of the exercise, including live-fire, airborne assaults and amphibious landings, etc. Unlike in the past, limited to a combat zone, this year's exercise showed the characteristics of "multi-point operations". With the previous exercises are limited to a combat zone is different, this year's exercises show the characteristics of the "multi-point operation", exercises in the Russian army 18 ranges. July 8 after the end of the exercise, the Russian army commander-in-chief General Bosnikov told the media, the military exercises military exercises to test the capabilities of the troops, all participants have been given the necessary practical opportunities. All participants were given the necessary opportunities for practice, and its main purpose was achieved.

　　In addition to the two large-scale military exercises mentioned above, the announcement by the United States and South Korea of the upcoming joint anti-submarine military training in the Yellow Sea has attracted considerable attention from all walks of life. China has from the very beginning expressed its opposition to this military exercise, which is scheduled at its "doorstep". Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of staff of the PLA, made it clear in an interview that the Yellow Sea, where the exercise will take place, is "very close to China's territorial waters, and we are very much opposed to the holding of such an exercise."

　　The U.S. and South Korea claimed that the military exercise was part of the response to the Cheonan incident. The exercise, which was originally scheduled for the end of June, has not yet been finalized for various reasons. As to whether the U.S. will send a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to participate in the drill, the U.S. officials have not made a final decision.

　　Although not the "protagonist" of this round of military exercises, China's live-fire training in the East China Sea and the 11-day "Friendship-2010" China-Pakistan Counter-Terrorism Joint Training still attracted a lot of attention because of the timing of the "coincidence". "Attracted a lot of attention. June 30 to July 5, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) 91765 troops in Zhejiang Province, Zhoushan to the east of Taizhou in the East China Sea to carry out live-fire training. "Friendship - 2010" China-Pakistan joint anti-terrorism training on the morning of the 9th held a joint anti-terrorism live exercise, China and Pakistan military special forces elite forces, in the air force, the Army Air Corps, under the cooperation of the "China-Pakistan border mountain joint anti-terrorism operations," to carry out live ammunition Exercise.

 

 

Coincidental "collision" of military exercises.

　　Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular press conference on June 29 that the PLA's drills in the East China Sea had "nothing to do" with the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The Chinese military also said that the East China Sea training is a routine exercise, and that it is purely coincidental that the timing is close to the date of the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise.

　　Several big countries have chosen to conduct military exercises in the summer, there is indeed something to be said. Li Daguang, a strategy expert at China's National Defense University, said that maritime exercises should definitely avoid monsoons and other inclement weather, and that from the perspective of visibility, weather, ocean currents and other considerations, summer exercises are easy to operate and complete, and the cost and risk factor are also relatively low.

Experts pointed out that for such large-scale military exercises as the "Rim of the Pacific" exercises and the Russian military exercises, it usually takes a long time to deploy and prepare. As a routine exercise, the timing of the exercise is very delicate, and the content of the exercise is also selective. Zhao Xiaozhuo, a researcher at the Department of World Military Studies at the Academy of Military Sciences, pointed out that "the more large-scale joint exercises, the more time is needed for preparation, and so many troops can't be pulled out just by saying so." He also emphasized that the Chinese PLA's live-fire training is different from drills in that the training has no imaginary enemy, "it's all about seeing if you can hit the target accurately, and of course there's no targeting anyone." And U.S. Pentagon official Shuman also said that China's live-fire exercises are within the normal range. The U.S. military holds many unilateral, bilateral or multilateral military exercises every year, and this joint military exercise with South Korea is also normal.

 

 

Xiangzhuang is dancing with his sword, is that his intention?

　　Some observers have pointed out that the Asia-Pacific region itself is full of great powers, both intra-territorial, and across the Eurasian continent, as well as relying on the offshore balance of the United States of America, this round of military exercises involving all the major powers in the region, except India, all the countries joined together, staged a military drama, it is rare.

　　Although the parties involved in the military exercises have declared that their exercises are routine training, not aimed at any particular party, but such an intensive military exercises held in the vicinity of China, inevitably triggered "against China" speculation and association. U.S. Navy experts revealed that the purpose of this exercise, in fact, is to guard against the rise of emerging military forces in the Asia-Pacific region, including China. The U.S. media also pointed out that the Pacific Rim series of exercises were historically aimed at the Soviet Union's activities in the Pacific region, but now must be instilled with "a new concept, that is, to guard the U.S. and its allies in the commercial as well as communications sea lanes and demonstrate U.S. power to safeguard U.S. national interests, and to ensure U.S. freedom of navigation in the Pacific Ocean," the power of the United States in the Pacific Ocean. ". The move is part of the U.S. government's policy of shifting war power from the Atlantic to the Pacific and is seen by Washington as a military priority for the twenty-first century. The military exercise is intended to send a message that no one can dissuade the United States from its determination to be the balance of power in the region.

　　Experts pointed out that, in addition to "contain China" this potential purpose, "Pacific Rim" military exercises also have the meaning of suppression of Russia. The U.S. military exercises in the Pacific Rim, the main subjects for the sea ferry, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, torpedo attacks, amphibious landing operations, sea blockade, sea and air coordination, close air support, maritime confrontation, air attack, land and air coordination, sea supply, special operations, electronic warfare and humanitarian relief, but anti-submarine is the main event, the goal of the submarine power directly pointed at China, Russia and so on.

　　The Russian military exercise is more interpreted as a "warning to the United States". Military experts believe that Russia's military intentions and deployment of U.S. forces in Asia are very concerned about, will never stand idly by, the military exercise is to show Russia's military presence in Asia. Some Russian media analysis, the Russian military on the choice of the location of the exercise and mobilization of troops and equipment way to show that the "East - 2010" exercise is to the United States "show strength". With Japan's territorial disputes, at the same time in the Asia-Pacific has a wide range of security interests of Russia, this high-profile "sword" in the Sea of Japan is to convey a message: Russia's position in East Asia can not be ignored.

　　The Chinese navy's East China Sea maneuvers were once interpreted as a response to the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises in the Yellow Sea. Some experts analyze that the move shows that the Chinese military's confidence in its own maritime strength is becoming stronger and stronger.

　　The British geopolitical scientist McKnight expressed his views on China's strategic position when he put forward his famous "continental pivot theory". In his view, China belongs to the "inner crescent" of countries on the edge of the Eurasian continent, and it is a place where land and sea powers must compete for the heart of the continent. China's neighborhood is a concentration of great powers, with Russia, Japan, and India all located in the region, and the United States, a superpower, having close alliances and troops in the region. The stakes between several major powers are also very complex, and the security dilemma between China and the United States, China and Japan, China and India, Japan and Russia, and the United States and Russia will not only have a significant impact on regional security, but will also affect the evolution of the world situation. At present, there is no effective security mechanism in Northeast Asia, and it is difficult to form a relatively stable security relationship among the many actors that lack institutional constraints. However, it is clear that the strategic pattern of East Asia will no longer be one in which the United States, Japan and South Korea stand on one side and face China, Russia and North Korea in the future.