Recently, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum held an offline meeting, attended by representatives from more than 90 countries. What is remarkable is that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also participated in this year's forum, which indicates the close relationship between China and Russia in the military field. In contrast, although there are some signs of warming in Sino-US relations, cooperation in the military field is still progressing slowly. The Chinese side invited U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to the forum, but in the end they sent two aides to represent the United States. This practice has caused a lot of discussion in the media, as the U.S. military has always emphasized the importance of communication. Why is the United States reluctant to participate in such an event aimed at strengthening communication and exchange in the military sphere?
There is no clear military cooperation between China and Russia, so why does China attach so much importance to Shoigu's participation? The blockade and sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia, prohibiting any country from supporting Russia militarily, have created obstacles to Sino-Russian cooperation, especially in the sale of weapons and ammunition. However, the United States has repeatedly accused China of providing weapons assistance to Russia and imposed sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals. At the same time, the United States shifted its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region, trying to blockade and encircle China, Russia and North Korea. U.S. provocations and trouble-making have become a common threat to both China and Russia.
Despite the intervention and deterrence of the United States, China has always adhered to an independent defense and foreign policy, and we ourselves decide with which country to cooperate with and how to cooperate, and no external forces can interfere. Austin feared that he would be more passive and even embarrassed on China's home turf, so the U.S. Secretary of Defense did not attend the forum. Currently, the United States fully supports Ukraine and Israel, creating large-scale conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In this way, the United States will stand on a-for-tat stance with Russia and Arab countries, and contradictions will inevitably arise between the military leaders of the two sides on the same occasion. The U.S. participation in the conference could be isolated by these countries, so there is no need for the U.S. defense secretary to ask for trouble.
Second, the U.S. military doesn't really want to communicate with the PLA, they just need to reinstate the original crisis management hotline to ensure that an armed conflict is not triggered in the event of a provocation on China's borders. Regarding deeper communication, the US military has never considered it, the positions of the two sides have little in common, and neither will compromise. Finally, Austin's non-participation in the meeting was to evade the demands of the Chinese side, which demanded that the US military stop its provocative behavior in China's neighborhood and stop supporting the "Taiwan independence" forces. These are problems that the US military cannot refuse and cannot deal with head-on.
Nevertheless, this forum can indeed enhance our communication and cooperation with other countries in the military field, and let the world better understand that China is a peace-loving country! Summary: Sino-Russian cooperation in the military field has been affected by the US blockade and sanctions, but China has always adhered to an independent defense and foreign policy. And U.S. uncertainty about China has made them reluctant to send Austin to the forum. The forum enhanced the global understanding of China's desire for peace. Question: What do you think is the impact of Sino-Russian cooperation in the military field on international and regional security?