China’s military sees threat in expanded US drills with Japan and South Korea

Name: South Korea’s Lee says Seoul prepared to shoulder defence costs
Uploaded: 2025-10-01T06:00:20.000Z
Description: South Korea’s Lee says Seoul prepared to shoulder defence costs

The exercises of recent weeks have become tools for destabilising the region, PLA commentary warns

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The militaries of the US, South Korea and Japan have held various joint exercises, raising concern in China. Photo: AFP/US Air Force VIA South Korea Defence Ministry

Liu Zhen

Published: 2:00pm, 1 Oct 2025Updated: 2:43pm, 1 Oct 2025

The US military’s expanded joint cyber and AI-integrated exercises with Japan and South Korea pose a risk to regional security, a Chinese military commentary has warned.

The opinion piece – by Ji Cheng from the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences and published in the PLA Daily on Tuesday – referred to the growing pace and complexity of various multilateral military exercises held in recent weeks.

“[The exercises] … have gone beyond traditional military cooperation and are evolving into strategic tools for the external power to destabilise regional security dynamics,” Ji wrote.

The article said “exaggerated regional threats” about China and North Korea were used to justify the drills, which had increased in frequency, geographic reach and operational domains.

South Korea’s Lee says Seoul prepared to shoulder defence costs

In the past two months, the US military has linked up with South Korea for the “Ulchi Freedom Shield” and “Iron Mace” exercises, with Japan for “Resolute Dragon 2025” and with both countries for “Freedom Edge”.

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