Why Is Russia Focused On Having Military Exercises With China?

© Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov

Peter Zwack, National Interest: Russia and China’s Growing Military Interaction; Surprised?

Why does Russia place such emphasis and media attention on incredibly large military exercises with China?

The drums are already rolling for the upcoming Russian “Vostok” (east) wargames commencing on September 11. With its focal point in the Trans-Baikal region of eastern Siberia adjoining Chinese Manchuria and Mongolia, this is a nationwide Russian military and societal event.

Touted by Russian minister of defense Sergei Shoigu as “ unprecedented in scale, both in terms of area of operations and numbers of military command structure, troops, and forces involved,” Russian state press is declaring that up to three hundred thousand troops and one thousand aircraft will be involved, with the majority from the Eastern and Central Military Districts. This would be even larger than the near-legendary Zapad-81 maneuvers held in the western USSR during the depths of the Cold War.

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WNU Editor: Keep your friends close is the policy that is driving Russia today. And for the moment the perception in the Kremlin is that China is a friend.