Eyeing Central Asia, China, Russia in ‘strategic’ military drill from Aug 9

With the US withdrawing from Afghanistan and increasing prospects of terror trouble in Central Asia, in yet another sign of the shaping up of a major alliance, China and Russia will hold a huge strategic-level military exercise involving 10,000 troops in North-West China, reports senior journalist Sanjib Kr Baruah.

New Delhi: Amid rapidly increasing bonhomie between China and Russia, the two countries will hold a huge strategic-level military exercise ‘Zapad/Interaction-2021’ in the Qingtongxia Joint Tactical Training Base in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from August 9 to 13, 2021, for which preparations have already begun.

It is for the first time that China has invited a foreign power for a strategic level military exercise in China and for the first time Russian soldiers will enter the Qingtongxia military base.

The importance of the mega exercise that will involve the participation of about 10,000 soldiers, combat aircraft, artillery and armoured vehicles can be gauged by the fact that defence ministers Wei Fenghe of China and Sergei Shoigu of Russia will be present during the exercise.

The participating forces will be drawn from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command and Russia's Eastern Military District.

PLA’s Western Theater Command is its largest theater that is responsible for the restive Xinjiang and Tibet provinces besides facing India and the troubled Central Asia region.

A Russian defence ministry statement said on Friday: “The participants of the joint Chinese-Russian exercise from the Russian side include military personnel of the operational-tactical aviation detachment, whose pilots also made a multi-hour flight over a distance of more than 1.5 thousand kilometers from the point of permanent deployment on multi-purpose Su-30SM fighters. Also, the personnel of the motorized rifle unit deployed in the Transbaikal territory, as well as special forces units and the control apparatus, will take part in the upcoming exercises.”

“The forces of the Chinese side participating in the exercise consist of the PLA Land and Air Forces,” it added.

To be jointly managed, a joint command body will be set up for the exercise where “comprehensive planning will be organized, issues of management, control of the situation, organization of intelligence, notification, fire destruction of the enemy and information security will be coordinated”.

Implications

While the stated objectives of ‘Zapad/Interaction-2021’ are “to strengthen Russian-Chinese relations, comprehensive partnership, and strategic cooperation… aimed at demonstrating the determination and ability of the two countries to fight terrorism and jointly protect peace and stability in the region”, the exercise at the strategic level occupies immense significance in the backdrop of US forces withdrawing from Afghanistan before September 11.

Interestingly, the defence ministers of both countries met on Wednesday in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, during the defence ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) where both mentioned the changing situations in Afghanistan and Central Asia, and the importance to safeguard regional security and maintain stability.

There are reasons to believe that the Central Asia region, already a fertile ground for many terror organizations, may see an uptick in terror activity that will be inimical to the interests of China and Russia.