US seeks to build a tacit alliance against China

Since 1971, the US has led an international maritime warfare exercise biennially in the Pacific. But this year, the ongoing Rim of the Pacific war games, or Rimpac, is distinct from previous games in three important ways: its participants, its message and its timing, not to mention its size (22 nations, 40 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel).

The exclusion of China from this year's exercise, when Russia and all other regional powers (Australia, India, Japan and South Korea) and even non-regional ones (the UK and France) are present, suggests the US considers China a rising threat in the Asia-Pacific region.

Russia's participation for the first time, after previously attending as an observer, is especially significant. Rimpac sought for years to contain the Soviet Union, and later Russia. The country's debut in the games shows it has been replaced by another power as the major threat in the region.

The US is clearly aiming to contain China by creating a tacit regional alliance of all those who, for one reason or another, are concerned about China.

Washington's economic and non-economic concerns are also shared by many of its Western and Asian allies (Japan and South Korea) in essence, despite differences over how to deal with them.

India and Russia co-operate with China within the context of BRICS, an association of leading emerging market economies. Separately, their bilateral relations with Beijing can be said to be relatively tension-free and trade is also substantial. Even so, their common borders and history of conflicts with China are of concern. There is also implicit economic and political competition as both wish to gain (India) or regain (Russia) super-power status.