China and Russia Band Together to Fight Terrorism, Weary of USA

by sara star | July 22, 2009 at 09:28 pm

324 views | 42 Recommendations | 9 comments

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization saw China and Russia begin their military exercise together on Wednesday. Under the code name "PeaceMission-2009", the drill will last five days, July 22-26.

The main focus of SCO is to counter the rising threat of separatism and extremism in Central Asia.

Analysts say that NATO without Russian and China is unable to deal with the Taliban and al-Qaida.

“Some NATO officials … fancy it is up to them to look after world order, performing the role of the world’s policeman,” said Viktor Litovkin, a military analyst. “But the situation in Afghanistan shows that NATO without Russia, without assistance from the Central Asian states, China and other leading nations of the region, is unable to deal with the Taliban and al-Qaida by itself.”

To some extent, the July 5 Xinjiang riot pushed forward anti-terrorism cooperation between China and Russia

Major Wang Haiyun, a former Chinese military attache to Russia

The military exercises are motivated by the recent violence in the Xinjiang region in China, and Chechnya and Ingushetia regions in Russia.

The SCO’s members also include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

China and Russia kicked off joint military exercises Wednesday, with the drills seen as a chance to beef up anti-terrorism cooperation after a recent flare-up of violence in the Xinjiang region.

The “Peace Mission 2009” five-day exercises in northeast China come weeks after China’s worst ethnic unrest in decades between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in the far western region of Xinjiang, which killed at least 197 people.

“To some extent, the July 5 Xinjiang riot pushed forward anti-terrorism cooperation between China and Russia,” said Major Wang Haiyun, a former Chinese military attache to Russia, the China Daily newspaper reported.

Russia has also been grappling with rising violence in Ingushetia, Dagestan and Chechnya. In addition, Russia and China are wary of a rising tide of instability in Central Asia that has spilled over from Afghanistan.

The military drill begins on July 22 and lasts until July 26. About 1,300 personnel from the army and air force of each side will participate in the exercise and Russia will also send an airborne assault unit, according to the Defense Ministry.

The exercise, code-named "PeaceMission-2009", will be carried out in Russia's Far East area and northeast China's Shenyang Military Command, according to the two countries' defense authorities. It will last five days.

Of importance is that the USA is accused of intervening with China's politics, not so much in support of Human Rights, but because of its strategic location for economic and energy cooperation. Will they try to break up China, like many feel they did with the USSR?

After the tragic events of July 5 in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region in China, it would be useful to look more closely into the actual role of the US Government's "independent" NGO, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

All indications are that the US Government, once more acting through its "private" Non-Governmental Organization, the NED, is massively intervening into the internal politics of China.

The reasons for Washington's intervention into Xinjiang affairs seems to have little to do with concerns over alleged human rights abuses by Beijing authorities against Uyghur people.

It seems rather to have very much to do with the strategic geopolitical location of Xinjiang on the Eurasian landmass and its strategic importance for China's future economic and energy cooperation with Russia, Kazakhastan and other Central Asia states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

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Babel-Fish

at 21:41 on July 22nd, 2009

Once again its to do with supplies of oil a gas but more to do with protection of the pipelines, the worry is once again the worry of Muslim fundamentalism at a guess.

China says its prefers not to be a world policeman as wars are very expensive. I believe them but what if terrorism and uprisings happen on there door step. Yes they will use the military to put down an uprising.

Where the pipelines are are the areas of strategic importance!

Paschen

at 04:10 on July 23rd, 2009

It is a logical move and Terror is the cover here not the reason.

China and Russia better get along since they have a long boarder that they chair and neither want to see trouble in China.

The US need to be isolated for a time, the problem being that China is ready to lead from military and economic perspective, but far from ready when it comes to Human rights and acting in the best interest of global issues.

Europe so far is the only one more or less ready from a Human point of view, as well as from its economy, but it lacks the Military might of China.

albertacowpoke

at 04:59 on July 23rd, 2009

Europe would have the military might if it formed a European Armed Force. The problem is national interests conflict with this. There is still a lot of false nationalism within Europe.

Paschen

at 06:22 on July 23rd, 2009

Well, France and Germany have some of their armed force joined up since 1985. It is a start.

bettermaker (not verified)

at 19:22 on September 1st, 2009

Human Rights: Radical Islam vs. China .... that would be a great debate. Is the Chinese Government better than Radical Islam? It might be "the lesser of two evils" .... but the point here is that Radical Islam is a threat to the whole world, while the Chinese government is only a threat in China. So does China (and Russia) have a good reason to fight Radical Islam? The answer is yes, but only because it is self-defense.

Spydermonkey

at 05:16 on July 23rd, 2009

I think the UN is quickly loosing any real control or authority to successfully act as "world police" and not having a true military or police force at the direction of the UN really puts it in an impossible situation on many of its missions.

While the US has the force to act as "world police" it can only do so as long as it has UN & the US populous support a given mission.

Russia, well, they don't have the money to support a long fight right now, & I wouldn't trust them to "protect the innocent".

China, well they have the people & the money to act as a regional police force (and there are places around their that need some help) But like Russia, I wouldn't trust them to "protect the innocent". Much less to protect human rights...

just musing out loud. . . .

bettermaker (not verified)

at 19:11 on September 1st, 2009

The UN is useless. No member states follow the rules. In countries where UN troops are stationed, they do nothing to help anything or anyone. The whole organization is a waste of money & manpower.