Russia, China, and India Conduct Joint Military Exercises... Military Tensions Rise (Comprehensive)

First Large-Scale China-Russia Exercise Since 2018
US Warns of Rapid Growth in China-Russia Security Domain Relations

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russia and China announced that they will hold joint military exercises in the Northeast Asia region at the end of this month, drawing attention to the background. In particular, India is also expected to participate in this exercise, raising concerns from the United States and the West. Amid the intensifying confrontation between the US and China over the Ukraine war and the Taiwan Strait, there are concerns that military tensions in the Northeast Asia region will further escalate.

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 17th (local time), the Chinese military will participate in Russia's 'Vostok (East)-2022' joint military exercises, which will be held from the 30th of this month to September 5th. The exercise is hosted by Russia's Eastern Military District, which oversees from eastern Siberia to Primorsky Krai, and is expected to take place in the Manchuria and Primorsky Krai areas.

In particular, this exercise is expected to include Russia, China, India, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Mongolia. This is the first large-scale exercise hosted by Russia in the Northeast Asia region since 2018.

The scale of this exercise has not yet been precisely disclosed, but it is expected to be comparable to the 2018 exercise. During the 2018 Vostok exercise, more than 300,000 troops from China and Russia, over 36,000 combat vehicles, and about 1,000 military aircraft participated, which caused tension among neighboring countries.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense also stated in a statement the day before, "The goal is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation among the participating countries' militaries, raise the level of strategic cooperation, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats," emphasizing that "participation in this joint exercise has no relation to the current international or regional situation."

The United States and the West view the purpose of this exercise as demonstrating the solidarity and military power of the two countries. In particular, with India's participation, a member of the Quad, a military consultative group aimed at countering China, concerns are growing among some in the US and the West.

Angela Stent, a Russia expert at Georgetown University, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), "The message Russia and China want to send to the West is that they are not isolated and that there are still many countries on their side," adding, "India's participation will significantly elevate the status of this exercise."

The US government downplays the significance of India's participation but remains cautious. Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department, said at a press briefing that "most of the countries involved in this exercise also regularly participate in military exercises with the United States," minimizing its significance. He added, "The main issue of this exercise is the rapidly growing security relationship between China and Russia."