US-Chinese Joint Military Exercises Likely To Become Increasingly Commonplace

Several days ago, during a visit to Australia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Fan Changlong announced together with Australian Defense Minister David Johnston that China, Australia and the U.S. would hold a joint military exercise codenamed “Kowari” in October of this year.

As this news was being announced, RIMPAC 2014 was already underway, marking the first time that our navy joined in the U.S.-led exercise. Australia was also a participant. Although the U.S., Chinese and Australian joint military exercise to be held this fall will be much smaller in scale than RIMPAC, its positive implications are still drawing attention.

First, it signifies that the three Asian-Pacific powers of China, the U.S. and Australia are now expanding into new fields within the larger process of establishing a new model of great power relations. Military exchange between nations is an important benchmark for measuring relations between them. China, Australia and the U.S. are all Asian-Pacific powers, and the decisive influence that they hold over maintaining the region’s peace and stability cannot be understated. The establishment of a new model of great power relations is not only manifested through cooperation and exchange in the political, economic and cultural arenas, but should also include mutual trust between militaries.

One could even say that to some extent, this mutual trust can better demonstrate the sincerity of nations in their efforts toward collective development. Perhaps it was precisely in this vein that Defense Minister Johnston praised reaching a consensus on the exercise as an “important milestone” in trilateral defense cooperation between the nations involved. The move comes as “a firm demonstration of all three countries’ intent to work together toward enhancing mutual trust and regional stability,” he said.

Second, this suggests that relations between the U.S., China and Australia have entered a new stage in history that will see positive changes to balance in the region. For some time now, the Australian and U.S. militaries have fostered a close cooperative relationship. Australia is seen by the U.S. as a strategic fulcrum, particularly within its military plans for the Asia-Pacific region, and an important link in its rebalancing strategy. The Kowari joint military exercise will not only mark the first time that our military participates in such drills in Australia, but will also be the first time that it participates in infantry exercises in conjunction with the U.S. and Australian armies. This will aid China and Australia in continuing to engage in even deeper military cooperation and exchange.

At the same time, these exercises also symbolize that the new model of military relations between the U.S. and China is steadily progressing. The U.S. and China have agreed to establish this new model of military relations, meaning the increased exchange, dialogue and cooperation between the two nations’ armed forces is not mere chance, but a strategic decision reached only after careful consideration. The gradual increase in joint military exercises between the U.S. and China in recent years illustrates how both nations have come to realize that only through seeking common interests and avoiding or outright eliminating points of conflict can they shut antagonism and conflict securely within the walls of cooperation and mutual benefit.

Finally, this demonstrates the self-confidence and transparency of our military. Participating in more joint military exercises with other countries in recent years has eased the concerns of other nations regarding the transparency of our armed forces while also demonstrating their peaceful yet formidable nature, and has further displayed our military’s new-found confidence while sojourning abroad amid the mighty armies of the wealthiest nations.

With the gradual rise of China’s military strength and influence, U.S.-Chinese joint military exercises will become increasingly commonplace. Military cooperation between China and other nations will continue to garner greater attention and be a positive force for the region and the world.

The author is an associate professor at the PLA National Defense University.