Pentagon worried about Russian-Chinese military drills
3 Min Read
Jay Solomon explains why US defense officials are worried about continued Russian-Chinese collaboration, including fears that Russia is sharing battlefield data from Ukraine with China, which includes military actions against US and NATO defense systems.
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Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian troops and military equipment parade at the 2018 military drills at Tsugol training ground near the Chinese and Mongolian border. (AFP)
According to Jay Solomon of Semafor, Russia and China are increasing collaborative military exercises in Asia and the Pacific, which is greatly alarming the Pentagon.
Russia and China concluded cooperative naval drills in the Sea of Japan, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, as the two partners aim to strengthen their military ties.
As part of the "North/Interaction-2023" naval drills held in the Sea of Japan, the Russian Pacific Fleet said on Saturday that Russian and Chinese naval forces conducted joint artillery firing at a sea target.
Last month, four Chinese and Russian military jets briefly breached South Korea's KADIZ without encroaching on its airspace. Nevertheless, according to South Korean media, Seoul dispatched its air force fighters to engage in tactical action to avert any potential accidents.
Solomon speculates that the operation also seemed to be a warning to the US, Japan, Australia, and India, who met in Tokyo the same week.
American defense officials have expressed concern over whether Russian and Chinese forces may conduct similar drills closer to the US or if they are sharing battlefield data from Ukraine with China, which includes military actions against US and NATO defense systems.
A dangerous world
US strategists are particularly concerned that Russia is sharing military experiences with Beijing, as Moscow's expertise in combating US and NATO weapons systems in Ukraine and Syria might be important in assisting China in defending against future confrontations with the Pentagon in Asia.
Admiral John Aquilino, commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific, stated last week, "I only see the cooperation getting stronger. And, boy, that’s concerning. That’s a dangerous world."
Solomon believes that recent joint drills serve as a reminder that the alliance might have far-reaching security repercussions for much of Asia.
General Steven Rudder, a former commander of U.S. Marine forces in the Pacific told Semafor that “We’ve always known that the Pacific Fleet in the Eastern Military District of Russia was going to be a factor in the Pacific and that we at some point would have to address. Russia is just not a European and NATO problem."
“With Russia at war and now aligned and getting support from China, we now squarely see Russia as more of a dynamic problem in Asia much more than before.”
The expanding China-Russia military drills are helping to offset the PLA's lack of combat experience," the Centre for New American Security stated in April.
Solomon notes that additionally, a historical shift is occurring. Throughout most of the Cold War, China worked with the US to limit the Soviet Union's power.
China and Russia have both suggested they are simply looking to counter the Biden administration’s recent moves to bolster America’s presence and military alliances there.
