In military drills with Cambodia, China aims to counter shift towards US, say analysts
- Golden Dragon 2023 includes military drills with joint naval exercise in Cambodian waters for first time and soft cultural skills: Chinese defence ministry
- Defence observers predict Beijing will try to align more closely to other nations such as Indonesia as it projects power in Southeast Asia
During the “Golden Dragon 2023” drill between March 23 and April 5, troops from both countries conducted a range of exercises, from blockade and control, to hostage rescue, epidemic disinfection, mine clearance and explosive removal, according to China’s defence ministry.
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Besides typical exercises aimed at improving military abilities, these exercises also included soft skills, with service personnel from both countries holding cultural performances on the sidelines – such as singing, dancing and calligraphy – which could “deepen understanding and friendship”, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The Chinese military also donated educational materials and medicines to Cambodian communities, CCTV reported.
The drills were held amid an intensifying competition between China and the United States over the Asia-Pacific region, where the US has solidified ties with regional countries such as the Philippines and Australia.
However, Phnom Penh has moved closer to Beijing over the years.
Assessing the recent joint drill, David Silbey, a military historian at Cornell University in the US, said it was a show of both political and military significance.
“On the military side, the drill builds familiarity and capacity,” Silbey said.
“The familiarity arises from the two militaries coming together, and the capacity comes from both the training and also the knowledge for the Chinese of how to project their power farther down the South China Sea.
“In terms of US influence, this is an obvious counter by the Chinese. Cambodia is strategically wedged in among countries that have been shifting towards the United States over the past decade. This is an attempt to counter that shift.”
The drill would worry other Southeast Asian countries, Silbey said. “Now, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia have to be aware that the Chinese can assert themselves militarily in the area.”
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China is expected to try building more security relationships with other regional countries but it was questionable how effective that will be, according to Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow at US think tank the Wilson Centre and founder of Asean Wonk Global, a research hub focusing on Southeast Asia affairs.
“China is likely to continue to push for the development of security ties with Southeast Asian states, even as it simultaneously exercises its military power in areas like the South China Sea,” Parameswaran said.
“The key question is to what extent countries accommodate or balance against Beijing on their own and with other partners on the security side, even as they also look to engage Beijing in other areas.”
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“I’d expect China to try and keep increasing its ability to project power in the broader South China Sea. In this area, the obvious target is Indonesia,” he said.
“China has had up-and-down relations with Indonesia over the years but they’ve gotten closer in recent years, and China-Indonesia military cooperation menaces Australia, among other things.
“The recent Aukus partnership is largely a result, I think, of Australia reading those tea leaves.”
