Starting today, an unprecedented military exercise begins!
It is truly unprecedented.
According to Iran, this is the first time in 40 years that Iran has held a joint military exercise with China and Russia after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In fact, 40 years ago, Chinese warships could not have gone to the Middle East for military exercises.
Therefore, there is no doubt that this is the first joint maritime exercise in the history of China, Russia and Iran.
When: 27th to 30th.
Location: Northern Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.
Looking at the map, you can see that this place is close to the Persian Gulf, guarding the exit of the Strait of Hormuz, and the strategic location is very important.
Iranian military spokesman Abul Fazler said the exercise is of great significance, "the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman are key shipping lanes around the world, and many ships only commute here, so ensuring the safety of this sea area is crucial."
On the afternoon of the 26th, Wu Qian, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, also confirmed the news.
His exact words went like this:
According to the consensus reached by the armed forces of China, Russia and Iran, the Sino-Russian-Iranian joint maritime exercise will be held in the Gulf of Oman region from December 27 to 30. The Chinese Navy sent the guided-missile destroyer Xining to participate. The exercise aims to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the navies of the three countries and demonstrate the good will and ability of the three sides to jointly safeguard world peace and maritime security and actively build a community with a shared future for the sea.
Well, such a reason, other countries can not say anything, after all, in this focus area, there have been many attacks on oil tankers.
But it is clear that at an extraordinary time when the situation in the Middle East is highly tense, this trilateral exercise has conveyed an extraordinary message.
Let's keep it simple:
1, this is the first time between China, Russia and Iran. The first time in life always has a special significance, and the first time between China, Russia and Iran is obviously of great significance, which also fully demonstrates the close cooperation between the three countries, especially the close cooperation between China and Russia.
2, Iran is definitely the most positive. Under the suppression and sanctions of the United States, Iran is facing great difficulties, and the current military exercise is undoubtedly a great moral support for Iran. Iran can show at home and abroad that it also has friends.
3, the overall scale is not large. China sent a Xining warship, and Russia is said to have dispatched three warships, mainly Iran, which is a big difference from the scale of recent US military exercises. From another side, it also shows the gap between the global deployment of the Chinese and Russian navies and the US military.
4, this is not the first time in China and Iran. This is the first of the three-country military exercise, but check it out, in 2017, the Chinese Navy's long-distance visiting formation, just in the Strait of Hormuz, conducted a joint exercise with two Iranian frigates. There are even more joint military exercises between Russia and Iran. Of course, the situation now is different from two years ago.
5, China's role is very special. Seeing some Western media hype, the Sino-Russian-Iranian military exercise is a response to the US-Saudi military exercise. On the surface, it seems that there is such a thing, but don't forget that China and Saudi Arabia have also conducted joint exercises this year, and Saudi Arabia and China have a good relationship.
6, this is a big game. Iran wants to pull friends to show its strength, but China has successively exercised with Saudi Arabia and Iran, which shows China's diplomatic skills and skills. This is true that China is not the same as the United States, nor is it quite the same as Russia.
7, the Middle East has special significance for the Chinese Navy. In the Middle East, we have always had an escort formation; also in Djibouti, the Middle East, we had our first overseas supply camp; or around the Middle East, more and more maritime exercises, don't forget, Red Sea Operations took place in the Middle East. The Middle East, forging the Chinese Navy, is moving towards deep blue.
8, there are changes in style. I remember that a few years ago, when Chinese leaders visited the Middle East, they clearly put forward the "three noes": We do not seek proxies in the Middle East, do not engage in spheres of influence, and do not seek to fill the "vacuum.". But China is obviously not absent, the situation is tense, a few years ago, China was unlikely to go to military exercises, but now the military exercise is a military exercise, this is the change.
9, more show diplomatic sophistication. The situation is very tense, the role is very critical, but this is not a military exercise between China and Iran, and there is also Russia, which shows the sophistication of diplomacy.
10, the Three Kingdoms military exercise, this is only the first time, the drama has just begun. The play must begin with the prologue, but the prologue is far from the climax.