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Joint military drills mask US' unilateral intent

By Zhen Zehao: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, April 12, 2013

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In the latter part of 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. military would hold to the principle of "returning to Asia-Pacific", declaring that America would help reshape the region's future.

The Philippines and the U.S. launched their joint military drills on April 8,2013.[Photo/Sina]

Over the past two years, U.S. has staged a number of joint military drills with some of China's neighboring countries and these drills have resulted in a string of regional disputes. The U.S. move has fueled suspicions that the real target of the drills is rapidly-rising China, seen as possessing different values and national interests than the U.S. The likelihood that China could mount a serious challenge to America's sole global superpower status by 2015 also adds fuel to the fire.

In terms of geopolitics, the U.S. "pivot to Asia" strategy is based on perceived national interest and a Cold War mentality. When it comes to U.S.-China policy, it appears to many that China is the perceived enemy of the U.S., leading to the desire to counterbalance China's influence in Asia by pivoting back to the region.

In this context, President Barack Obama described the Asia-Pacific region as being of top priority as far as US security is concerned, which puts more pressure on China.

When elaborating on the new U.S. defense strategy in 2012, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also announced that Washington will look to increase the American military presence in the Asia-Pacific region by shifting 60 percent of its naval vessels to the region by 2020.

American intervention in Asia's regional affairs generally takes the form of forming alliances with Asian countries, flexing its military muscle by increasing the number of U.S. troops in the region and playing what Washington describes as "a leading and positive role in Asia."

On April 16, 2012, the U.S. and the Philippines began their annual Balikatan military drills. Many fear that these military maneuvers will spark fresh tensions between China and the Philippines, with the drills taking place in waters off Palawan Island in the South China Sea and the on the western side of the Philippines, an area which has seen frequent disputes in the past.

Last November, the U.S. and Japan held joint military exercises amid simmering tensions with China over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

It is claimed that the exercises focus on improving coordinated security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian and disaster response". In addition to these bilateral drills, the U.S. also staged several trilateral and multilateral military drills with allies and partners in the region.

It seems clear that Washington is determined to make full use of joint military drills to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region, therefore realizing its true purpose of deterring the threat posed by a rising China, as well as shoring up American's influence in the region and even reestablishing the image that the U.S. remains the supreme global power, which is perhaps Washington's ultimate goal.

Is Asia now more stable than it was before America adopted its Asia-Pacific strategy? Clearly not. The strategy has demonstrably exacerbated regional tensions and conflicts and jeopardized the prospects of stability, peace and prosperity in the region.

The author is an associate professor with China's National Defense University.

The article was first published in Chinese and translated by Ma Yujia.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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