The Largest Contemporary Military Exercise in Russia Begins with China's Participation

Russia's military exercise, the largest of its kind since the Cold War, has commenced with the participation of China. The leaders of the two countries pledged to enhance their strategic relations 'regardless of' international changes ahead of this exercise. Over 300,000 military personnel are participating in Russia's large-scale exercise, which is double the number involved in the largest exercise conducted by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and it takes place at a time when Moscow's relations with the West are fraught with various tensions. The military drills began on September 11 and will continue for a week. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the presidents of Russia and China, met at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, located in Russia's Far East, and are expected to closely observe this 'war game.' Putin stated, 'We have a relationship based on trust [with China] in the fields of politics, security, and defense.' Chinese state media also reported that the two leaders agreed to enhance their relations regardless of changes in the international arena. The two sides signed new documents in various fields at the beginning of the Vladivostok forum. Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of countering 'protectionist policies.' The U.S. government has imposed new tariffs on Chinese goods, and relations between the two countries have faced new tensions. Approximately 3,500 Chinese military personnel have traveled to Russia to participate in the war exercises. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chinese personnel will participate in part of the exercises known as the 'main scenario.' Alex Kokcharov, a Russia analyst at IHS Markit in London, stated that China has never participated in military exercises on Russian soil that are held outside the supervision of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Kokcharov told Radio Free Europe, 'The ultimate goal of these exercises is essentially to showcase Russia's military power in the Asia-Pacific region.' He concluded that 'if Russia had not invited China, Beijing could have assessed this exercise as a potentially dangerous action.' Russian officials have emphasized that the recent exercises are not aimed at instilling fear and do not target any specific country or countries. However, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, previously emphasized that the reason for holding it is 'hostile conditions in the international arena.' On the other hand, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stated that China's presence in these exercises is not of extraordinary importance. Mattis said he believes that over the long term, there will not be many commonalities between Russia and China to create a strong bond between the two sides. The last time Russia held exercises and drills at this level was in 1981; the exercise known as 'Zapad 81' was the largest exercise conducted during the Soviet era. That exercise was accompanied by extensive state propaganda and was specifically described as a demonstration of Soviet power against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Russian Defense Ministry states that more than 1,000 fighters, helicopters, and drones, about 80 warships and transport vessels, 36,000 tanks, armored vehicles, and other military equipment are participating in the new exercise. The title of this exercise is 'Vostok 2018.'