Russia launches its biggest war games with China

CHITA, Russia – Hundreds of thousands of Russian troops swept through Siberia on Tuesday in their country's biggest war game, joined by China – a powerful demonstration of military relations between Moscow and Beijing in the midst of tensions with Russia. United States.

Moscow reported that the 2018 Vostok (East) maneuvers would cover large areas of Siberia and the Far East, the Arctic and the Pacific, and would involve nearly 300,000 Russian troops, third of the million soldiers. They will include more than 1,000 aircraft, approximately 36,000 tanks and other military vehicles and 80 warships.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called the exercise drills more important than the country's largest cold war exercise, called Zapad 1981, which put NATO allies on the brink of collapse.

A retired Russian general said the giant war games are a warning to the United States against the growing pressure on Russia.

"The maneuvers are meant to deter the aggressive intentions of the United States and NATO," Ret said. General Leonid Ivashov said. The Interfax news agency said the exercises were also a "response to US sanctions."

China is sending approximately 3,200 soldiers, 900 combat vehicles and 30 planes to join the exercises in a Siberian firing range, an important deployment that reflects its evolution towards a full military alliance with Russia. Mongolia has also sent a military contingent.

Asked whether the United States is worried about a possible military alliance between Russia and China, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Pentagon journalists on Tuesday: "I think that nations act out of their interests. I see few long-term things that align Russia and China. "

At the beginning of the maneuvers, Chinese President Xi Jinping went to Russia on Tuesday to attend an economic forum in Vladivostok. President Vladimir Putin has treated Xi to pancakes with caviar and vodka shots as part of their warm relationship.

Moscow and Beijing have coined what they termed a "strategic partnership", expressing their common opposition to the "unipolar" world, the term they use to describe the perceived dominance of the world. However, the military exercises they had so far were much less important, reflecting China's cautious approach to alliances.

Some experts have pointed out that the United States has helped to strengthen the military ties between Russia and China by calling them strategic competitors.

"They have the feeling that they must accept to cope with the increasingly high pressure and containment of the United States," said Yue Gang, military expert and colonel of the United States. Chinese army retired.

He noted that China believed that Washington's hostile attitude and hostile actions, such as the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, prevented it from taking into account the views of the United States when strengthened their strategic trust with Moscow.

"The war games have laid the groundwork for China and Russia to strengthen their cooperation on the international scene and lift the fighting power on both sides," he said.

Chinese media have described China's involvement in the maneuvers as the country's largest force shipment abroad for war games.

Some have noted that the People's Liberation Army, which has not fought since the attempted invasion of Vietnam in 1979, wishes to learn from Russia's experience in the Syrian campaign, where it tested its latest weapons and tactics.

From China's point of view, the emerging military alliance with Russia sends a strong signal to the United States and their ally as Beijing defends its interests in the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Diaoyu Islands controlled by Japan but claimed by Beijing.

Hong Kong-based commentator Song Zhongping said China is keen to gain more experience in large-scale operations that could become a factor of conflict with the United States and other countries over the past decade. land claims in Asia.

"Russia has very good combat capabilities and the participation of the PLA in a large-scale military exercise specifically designed for an anti-invasion war indicates China's intention to learn techniques." more valuable combat and strengthen his joint combat capabilities "Song said.

For Russia, the growing alliance with China is particularly important in the context of growing tensions with the United States and its allies and an imminent threat of more violent US sanctions.

"The scale and scenario of these exercises correspond to the current political-military situation," said Ivashov, the retired Russian general. "They demonstrate the seriousness of our intentions."

The United States and its NATO allies are closely monitoring their efforts to publicize their military cooperation between Russia and China and their growing military might.

"We are obviously aware of it, we are watching it closely," said Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning. "We are aware of Russia's right to sovereignty and exercise to ensure that they are prepared."

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the training "fits into a trend we have seen for a long time: a more assertive Russia, significantly increasing its defense budget and its military presence ".

She also noted that "China has growing military capabilities and is playing an increasingly important global role," adding that "it is important for NATO to cooperate with China."

___

Vladimir Isachenkov reported from Moscow. Christopher Bodeen in Beijing, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Lorne Cook in Brussels, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.