Japanese, US and French troops kicked off their joint military drills Tuesday in Japan’s Kyushu region. The drills include fighter jets and amphibious operation exercises. Japan also announced that a joint military exercise between Japan, the US, France and Australia is scheduled in the East China Sea to coordinate with the land exercises of the above-mentioned three countries. The purpose of the exercise is to pressure China and send a signal that the US and Japan could bring more allies together to contain China. Australian troops have made repeated appearances in the South China Sea, hyping the so-called freedom of navigation. European countries have recently started to do the same, and they are more like making a show. This time, French and Australian warships came to the East China Sea, which is another step forward. The Biden administration’s strategy of rallying allies to pressure China has reaped some gains, which is a test of how China will respond. To strengthen Western ideological alliances, these countries can conduct shallow cooperation in joint military exercises. This is what Washington can do with a low cost. Tokyo would love to play an active role in this, since it not only soothes its anxiety about China’s rise, but also asserts itself as something of a major force in the Western world. We should understand that the more countries the US ropes in to contain China, the more complicated its team will become. We should be able to treat the members in its team differently. As we guard the bottom line of our own security interests, we should also stick to our strategic goals and not be affected by the US and Japan’s acts to harass China. Just think of those European countries. When the Western Pacific was busy in economic development and was a geopolitical focus, these countries felt a bit lost and worried about being marginalized. The US and Japan invited them to play some trivial roles, which caters to some countries’ opportunistic mentality. Therefore, some European countries have come forward to gain a cheap limelight. It has been a long time since European countries had made a big scene, but we should not be misled. It is impossible for European countries, even including the UK, to make themselves China’s strategic enemies. They are always assessing the pros and cons of making gestures to move closer to the US and having disputes with China. European countries, though far away from China geographically, have great benefits in economic cooperation with China. European policymakers will never be so stupid to bind with the US strategically and engage in long-term conflicts with China. Outside of the ideological field, almost all cooperation between European countries and the US against China is expedient, temporary and unstable. Europe is exploring its new strategic position. China must see this clearly and not be confused by some superficial noises.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times News Exchange Item
