Crisis in Korea; Naval Exercises by China and Russia, Military Drills by the US, South Korea, and Japan

With rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's recent nuclear and missile tests, China and Russia have begun a naval military exercise near North Korea. The South Korean Ministry of Defense has also stated that South Korea, the US, and Japan are set to conduct joint exercises in the coming weeks. China's state news agency, Xinhua, reports that this naval exercise is taking place in Peter the Great Gulf, near Vladivostok in Russia's Far East. This area is close to the border of North Korea and Russia and not far from northwestern Japan. The naval exercise between the two countries is the second part of their joint drills this year, with the first part having been conducted in the Baltic Sea. Despite the timing coinciding with tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the proximity of the area to North Korea's borders, Xinhua did not mention any connection between this exercise and the current crisis. The Global Times, which is overseen by the official People's Daily of China, quoted several Chinese military experts stating that this exercise was planned in advance and is not intended to address the current tensions surrounding nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula. According to a report from the state news agency Sputnik, these exercises are set to take place from Monday, September 18 to September 26. Concurrently, the South Korean state news agency reported that the US military intends to send an aircraft carrier to Korean waters, and the two countries are set to conduct a joint exercise in the coming weeks. The Yonhap news agency stated that the unnamed aircraft carrier is part of a strike group and will participate in the exercises according to the South Korean Ministry of Defense. Additionally, the two countries and Japan are expected to conduct a joint exercise for missile attack preparedness at the end of September and early October. Furthermore, it has been reported that four advanced F-35 fighter jets and two B-1B strategic bombers of the US military conducted exercises over the skies of Korea on Monday. On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on the international community in an op-ed in the New York Times to act collectively to impose sanctions against North Korea. Nikki Haley, the US representative to the United Nations, also stated during a Security Council meeting on Sunday that the council's options for addressing North Korea's nuclear program have run out and that the United States may refer the matter to its Department of Defense. China has called for restraint and the avoidance of verbal threats against North Korea. Reuters reported that Ms. Haley explained previous comments made by the US President that Pyongyang would face 'fire and fury', stating that these words are 'not just an empty threat'. In recent weeks, North Korea has conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and has also carried out ballistic missile tests; estimates indicate significant progress by Pyongyang in developing long-range missiles. These tests have faced a wave of sanctions from the Security Council.