Sino-Russian Military Cooperation

China and Russia started a joint military exercise in Japan Sea on Thursday. It is the first attempt for both great powers to have major joint drill in this area where mainland of Japan geographically blocks the route of them to advance to the Pacific Ocean. It is fair to say that military cooperation of China and Russia reflects growing operative integration between Japan and United States.

The joint drill is to be operated in offshore Russian Primorye for a week. China sends twenty-seven vessels including destroyer, while Russia participates with its flagship of Pacific Fleet, missile cruiser Varyag. Total vessels of both navies amount to twenty-two and other early warning aircrafts, helicopters or amphibious vehicles are joining. They are having air defense and anti-ship training, defense against submarines or amphibious exercises.

Both countries had first joint military drill in 2005, an operation called Peace Missions, in the period when Japan and United States were revising their security cooperation in roles, missions and capabilities. Compared to the exercise offshore Vladivostok two years ago, China and Russia are having closer relationship in military cooperation to deal with growing presence of Japan-U.S. alliance.

After China started sticking around Senkaku Islands in 2012, often penetrating into Japan’s sea territory, Japanese government has been enhancing its defense capability against China. It revised the guideline for defense cooperation with U.S. this April and the lawmakers are discussing new security legislature that enable Japan to make further assistance to U.S. military operation. Those behaviors actually stimulated China to make closer military relationship with Russia.

Chinese media attributed the closer military tie with Russia to Japan-U.S. alliance. “Given that the U.S.-Japan alliance is overt, and both nations are no longer concerned about covering up their aggressive, well-directed joint military drills, a growing number of interpretations have emerged, arguing that the Sino-Russian joint exercise are in diametric opposition to it,” Chinese Global Times justified the drill.

However, military countermeasures of China against Japan would hardly be justified. It is China that unilaterally keeps on changing status quo in East China Sea without any deliberated communication with Japan. Growing maritime power of China invites broad skepticism in its intention to maintain peace and stability in Asia-Pacific region. Before advancing into military confrontation, Chinese leaders need to make further effort to have a top-level meeting with Japan.