Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

data for: U.S. Navy aircraft carrier George Washington in the Sea of ??Japan and South Korea hold joint naval exercises

text | Yong-Sheng Zhou

7 20 March, the United States and South Korea military announced code-named “indomitable will” of the US-ROK joint military exercises at sea exercise schedule — from 25 day, lasted for three days to July 28.

it will be since 1976, the largest US-ROK military exercises conducted. Earlier media reports, South Korea’s opposition was due to China military exercises will be the place from the Yellow Sea to the Sea of ??Japan. When the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s “George Washington” aircraft carrier, 20 warships and 200 fighter planes and 8,000 armed forces personnel will participate in this phase of the exercise. Subsequently, the U.S. and South Korea both in the Korean Peninsula and the western sea (the Yellow Sea) to continue to conduct joint military exercises at sea, but the size will be reduced.

as a result of the incident in South Korea Cheonan, you can say this is time sensitive, location-sensitive, sensitive target of an exercise for the next, and thus the entire international community’s attention. So, around this event, the mentality of how countries? How will affect the national game of the security situation in Northeast Asia?

South Korea, the United States their different

Why the US-ROK joint military exercise on the news are often the first release by the South Korea? This is the mentality of the South Korean government’s urgent. In the event of Cheonan, South Korea think they suffered a great humiliation. However, South Korea and find a better way of retaliation and response, if you take other stronger retaliation North Korea, the situation is likely to lead to loss of control. Thus only through a joint exercise with the U.S. military to show Korea’s hard-line stance.

North Korea and the United States there is no “immediate retaliation” mentality, and insisted on North Korea long siege, closures, complemented by a strong military, political pressure, look forward to change the North Korean regime itself, or, there is some major mistakes and vulnerabilities, in order to take advantage, take the opportunity to the collapse of the North Korean regime.

Thus, there came an urgent position in South Korea after the U.S. was out to correct, that has not made the final decision-making. However, in Northeast Asia to maintain aircraft carrier fleet, nuclear strike capability, the United States absolutely not the slightest ambiguity, the United States does not object, in appropriate cases to show off its strong military power to deter North Korea, detect and test China’s military movements.

Meanwhile, the U.S. aircraft carrier to participate in the Yellow Sea region can take the exercises to become familiar with the situation in the region for future military conflict with China to prepare for, and constraints of Chinese intelligence, adaptive training, multi-effects. This reflects the mentality of Korea and the U.S. for the exercise on the difference. However, the exercise message is disclosed in South Korea, China’s response from the government to the private sector are relatively strong, resulting in the United States had to repeatedly measure the exercise stimulus produced by the Chinese military consequences of the damage to Sino-US relations, so do not want to act rashly. This Korean anxious, eager to show strength, eager to pull the United States to compete with North Korea’s attitude is just the first line in stark contrast.

China does not want tense

Chinese mentality and Korea have very different, most people in China considered the starting point is the Yellow Sea region is directly related to the heart of China — Beijing-Tianjin region’s security. In China’s modern history, British and French troops had landed by the Yellow Sea region of Tianjin, and then into Beijing, burned the Yuanmingyuan; Sino-Japanese naval battle, Russo-Japanese War and other historical events, this region is related to global sea battle. Can be said that the region’s painful history of humiliation, the important strategic position, to the Chinese people left a heavy impression on the memory and a deep history.

especially with the Chinese Navy and Air Force and Second Artillery Force, and the growing economic strength, China’s re-awakening of national consciousness of people, they do not want countries like the United States hegemony and then as before, with impunity in related to the core interests of China’s security as any of the Yellow Sea region.

maritime strategy in China, from coastal defense to offshore defense strategy is gradually moving towards the implementation of the Yellow Sea of ??China’s defense strategy in the coastal ocean interact with overlapping, close by the continuation of an important part of China’s growing military a high degree of attention. July 17 ~ 18, and held in the Yellow Sea naval battle in order to transport supplies for the content of the exercise. This not only shows that China’s maritime defense strategy more aggressive, but also to the upcoming issue of South Korean military exercises at sea to contain the signal.

plus events on the day the ship in the Chinese government does not seem completely out the truth, therefore, both sympathetic to South Korea, the Chinese government’s stance as a victim, while also concerned about North Korea that South Korea is hand-made plot position, the Chinese do not want such a sensitive time in the day the ship sank near sensitive sites including the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet, including large-scale military exercises.

China hopes all parties will ease the situation, rather than resort to force in order to avoid escalation. Therefore, both the Chinese people, the official, have demonstrated a high degree of attention and exercise the same opposition.

China increased influence in Northeast Asia

US-ROK military exercise affects the parties in Northeast Asia widespread concern among many countries are closely engaged in diplomatic negotiations, highlights the security issues in Northeast Asia grim situation.

In summary, the current security situation in Northeast Asia has the following characteristics:

First, the U.S. political and military presence in Northeast Asia is still the dominant factor security pattern, while China’s influence in the rapid increases in any of the parties, including the U.S. forces did not dare underestimate the presence of China and China’s concerns and attitudes. The US-ROK military exercises being staged in South Korea on the Sea of ??Japan that the Chinese attitude of concern and cooperation.

Secondly, the DPRK nuclear issue is the security dilemma in Northeast Asia and the concentrated expression of security problems, security in Northeast Asia in recent years it has become the most prominent factors of instability and undermine the security interests in Northeast Asia and the situation stable. In the inter-Korean military confrontation, alone, in terms of military power between the two countries, South Korea, a relatively weak one, so South Korea has been working to upgrade its military forces to deal with the North Korean threat. The implementation of the DPRK not only for all, military-first politics, strategy, and, in the successful development of nuclear weapons, and, after a breakthrough in nuclear fusion, in the long term to maintain the military superiority of South Korea.

again, the security situation in Northeast Asia, the fundamental dilemma lies in the Cold War confrontational structure has not fundamentally changed. Confrontation between the Korean Peninsula; US-Japan alliance, US-ROK alliance and the potential confrontation between China and Russia and other countries; Japan and Russia, the territorial dispute between Japan and Korea, ethnic, historical grievances despite significant relief, but not fundamentally be changed and addressed. However, due to the improvement of China-ROK relations between China and deepening cooperation and interdependence, the ultimate resolution of the Korean Peninsula although no specific time can look forward to, but basically still in the manageable range.

Finally, the United States for its own strategic interests, is still to long-term, steady-led security pattern in Northeast Asia and direction of development, which constitutes the United States and countries in the region long-term, lasting, comprehensive and profound contradictions. DPRK-US conflict, US-Japan conflict, contradictory Korea, Russia and the U.S. conflicts, contradictions and so includes the U.S. nation-state region against U.S. hegemony factors. As long as the U.S. does not change the dominant strategy in Northeast Asia, this contradiction would be difficult to eliminate.

US-ROK military exercises did not change the existing security pattern in Northeast Asia, but in international relations and military relations on the level of increased security pattern in Northeast Asia, China’s influence. The United States, South Korea to China to take care of the concerns, the temporary change in the exercise location. The two countries not only to the Chinese face-saving, but also reflects the strength of China and in Northeast Asia and China called for the impact of rising importance.

but we must have a clear understanding: In essence, the security pattern in Northeast Asia, the initiative is still control in the hands of the United States, and not because of the location of the exercise is changed. Therefore, the Chinese Yellow Sea in opposition to the U.S. Fleet exercises such issues be taken into careful, do not be blind to emotions and nationalist impulse to contain. Otherwise, when the Chinese security pattern in Northeast Asia do not have the blocking strength of U.S. military operations in specific situations, not only the U.S. can not stop some of the arrangements, will intensify the conflict with the United States, resulting in a good atmosphere of cooperation between the major powers damage, prompting the domestic nationalist sentiment blind rise. (Yong-Sheng Zhou, Professor, Institute of International Relations, Foreign Affairs College)

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