Why is China against the US-South Korean joint military exercise?

[powerfulguy]

With Joint US-South Korea military exercise planned for the near future, China has stepped in and warned the two nations not to go ahead with it. China claims that the joint military exercise in the Yellow Sea would be a threat Chinese security and also warned the US warships from being a target if they ever entered the Yellow Sea.

It is a bit awkward for China to be making such a statement when the US-South Korea has been doing such excercise numerous times in the past. Also when the exercise is to be held technically within South Korean waters. Why is China suddenly eager to be against this drill? It doesn't make sense. Maybe China is doing a favor for North Korea for something in return.

The Joint exercise's sole purpose is to keep peace in East Asia. It is also for suppressing North Korea for making any additional surprise attacks against the South.

China's interrupting of the peace keeping effort of US and South Korea is just simply wrong.

Why is China being against the US-South Korean joint military exercise?
1. Infringement of South Korean sovereignty
2. China just being a bully
3. Something related to North Korea
4. I have no idea

 

[GermanHerman]

I recomend you to read the "Second Korean War" threat, you'll find some posts about the chinese / us interests in asia as well as about their relationship to each other.

In short:

The exercise, like every bigger exercise, is also a political move and a message.
The USA want to show of their power and increase their influence in the region.
China on the other hand, of cause, feels threaten by this move and wants to protect it's own sphere of influence.

It's cold war again my friend And always keep in mind, there is more than one truth:

The Joint exercise's sole purpose is to keep peace in East Asia. It is also for suppressing North Korea for making any additional surprise attacks against the South.

China's interrupting of the peace keeping effort of US and South Korea is just simply wrong.

The Joint exercise's sole purpose is to show US military strenght in East Asia. It is also for suppressing North Korea.

China's interrupting of the imperialistic effort of US is just simply logic.

Remember: It's the backyard of china, what would you expect your goverment to do when chinese warships enter the gulf of mexico for an joint exercise with cuba's navy (do cuby have a navy ) ? And don't tell me it's a different story cause I don't saw any convincing reports that this ship was sunk by the north yet.

 

[SABRE]

People's Liberation Army Navy is although going through rapid modernization lacks qualitative edge. Much of its surface ships are very old and is totally dependent on Russian Kilo submarines. Its own submarines are quite old and noisy. The new ones are only available in handful of number. In light of this my answer is:

i. It fears alliance of advance navies against its interests.

ii. Sudden surge of advance naval ships makes China technologically anxious.

PLAN has a quantitative response but not qualitative.

 

[justone]

People's Liberation Army Navy is although going through rapid modernization lacks qualitative edge. Much of its surface ships are very old and is totally dependent on Russian Kilo submarines. Its own submarines are quite old and noisy. The new ones are only available in handful of number. In light of this my answer is:

i. It fears alliance of advance navies against its interests.

ii. Sudden surge of advance naval ships makes China technologically anxious.

PLAN has a quantitative response but not qualitative.

Any country would have something to said if it was close to there country. The Chinese Navy is modernizing at alarming rate. If Russian Navy was conducting Navy exercises near U.S. coastline trust me someone in the U.S. going said something about that.

 

[Chino]

Would the US be happy if the Russian Navy is having an exercise with Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico?

 

[einsamuboot]

With Joint US-South Korea military exercise planned for the near future, China has stepped in and warned the two nations not to go ahead with it. China claims that the joint military exercise in the Yellow Sea would be a threat Chinese security and also warned the US warships from being a target if they ever entered the Yellow Sea.

It is a bit awkward for China to be making such a statement when the US-South Korea has been doing such excercise numerous times in the past. Also when the exercise is to be held technically within South Korean waters. Why is China suddenly eager to be against this drill? It doesn't make sense. Maybe China is doing a favor for North Korea for something in return.

The Joint exercise's sole purpose is to keep peace in East Asia. It is also for suppressing North Korea for making any additional surprise attacks against the South.

China's interrupting of the peace keeping effort of US and South Korea is just simply wrong.

Why is China being against the US-South Korean joint military exercise?
1. Infringement of South Korean sovereignty
2. China just being a bully
3. Something related to North Korea
4. I have no idea

If you know something about China's history in the past 150 years, including several invasions from the Yellow Sea, maybe you should understand that the objection of this military exerciese is not only from the government, but from the common Chinese as well.

 

[einsamuboot]

Would the US be happy if the Russian Navy is having an exercise with Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico?

Support!

 

[ltdanjuly10]

As long as the exercise is in international waters than this is a non-issue, unless The PRC does not view international waters in the same way the US does but I am pretty sure both the US and PRC recognize the 12 limit. Lets just hope theirs not a disputed submerged rock in the area, that would be the most ridiculous start to a world war since the Gavrilo Princip went to get a sandwich and shot the Archduke of Austria

 

[Pathfinder-X]

Historically, the Yellow Sea was seen something as the Chinese backyard. Ancient Korean kingdoms were often Chinese tributary states and Chinese enjoyed relatively unrestricted access to the seas. Yellow Sea can be considered the door step to China's imperial throne. If anybody controlled the water, they would threaten the very heart of the Chinese ruling elites. Beginning in the 19th Century, China was invaded by other world powers at the time, and you can probably guessed what happened.

Economically, alot of Chinese heavy industries and military manufacturing occur in the areas surrounding the Yellow Sea. Northeastern China was the first industrialized area of China and remains a vital industrial hub today. In short, it is the equivilent of United States having a foreign fleet conducting exercise near its Northeastern coast, not a very pleasant prospect.

 

[Grand Danois]

China only lodged a formal protest, acknowledging U.S. options on a response to the Norks were very limited this time around. U.S. has previously cancelled/altered similar exercises after discussion with PRC.

PRC and U.S. play the same team on this one.

 

[Feanor]

Would the US be happy if the Russian Navy is having an exercise with Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico?

Russia brought a nuclear armed battlecruiser to Venezuela, along with a couple of strategic bombers (Tu-160s). The US made very little noise about it. Then again NATO, or bilateral US exercises near Russia don't tend to do much on the international political stage either (although Russian press has a field day with it).

I think Chinese concern has more to do with the DPRK situation, then with the exercises themselves.

 

[Chino]

Russia brought a nuclear armed battlecruiser to Venezuela, along with a couple of strategic bombers (Tu-160s). The US made very little noise about it. Then again NATO, or bilateral US exercises near Russia don't tend to do much on the international political stage either (although Russian press has a field day with it).

I think Chinese concern has more to do with the DPRK situation, then with the exercises themselves.

You're right.

And also China is probably seen as more of an adversary to the US - currently - than Russia.

 

[dingyibvs]

Russia brought a nuclear armed battlecruiser to Venezuela, along with a couple of strategic bombers (Tu-160s). The US made very little noise about it. Then again NATO, or bilateral US exercises near Russia don't tend to do much on the international political stage either (although Russian press has a field day with it).

I think Chinese concern has more to do with the DPRK situation, then with the exercises themselves.

How's Venezuela even remotely comparable to the Yellow Sea? That's more comparable to the U.S. having naval exercises with the Philippines.

 

[My2Cents]

As long as the exercise is in international waters than this is a non-issue, unless The PRC does not view international waters in the same way the US does but I am pretty sure both the US and PRC recognize the 12 limit. Lets just hope theirs not a disputed submerged rock in the area, that would be the most ridiculous start to a world war since the Gavrilo Princip went to get a sandwich and shot the Archduke of Austria

China regards the Yellow Sea as exclusive theirs and has a long history of harassed foreign vessels in the area to the point engineering a series of ‘accidents’ (collisions and such). They do not recognize the 12 mile limit in this regard, but do not want a shooting war either, so they are just making trying to make it too troublesome to operate there. The protests are part of this, probably in hope of eventually get an acknowledge in some ‘quid pro quo’ diplomatic deal in the future.

 

[dtleio]

lol, read above talking is funny.

First,we(china) regard the Yellow Sea as our tranditional sphere of influence, just like Caribbean Sea for United State. A long history made the idea took strong root.

Second,for political sensitivity, U.S.A had been roped in this joint military exercise with South Korean military together. For chinese, it s usually easy to remind what happened since 50 years ago.

Third,maybe we like most of things about United State,but except U.S Army. The carrier joint the military exercise too close to Qingdao city of Shandong province, and now if i not misremember
there r totally 3 U.S.Navy carriers cruise on the Yellow Sea around our China.

Forth,North Korea is our brother, even sometime not listen to our advice or suggestions.But it is importance that two countries have the same profits in some fields,especially for agaist U.S Army.

Currently for most of chinese ppl , the fact of U.S.Navy carriers coming around china has some subtle relation with old shame like 100 years ago west ever brought to old china. Never look down upon chinese government, they r really the outstanding master who be good at operating civilar nationalism .

Indeed,the china agaist not to Korean military exercise,against U.S.Navy carriers. Again, Uncle SAM put his nose smelling round in Korean Peninsula.

"有韩国人在中国人面前夸奖他们国家比中国多么的好，可惜却无法掩盖有200万韩国人常年在中国大陆生活。除了驻扎在韩国的美军，韩国有的中国都有，甚至比他们还要好！"

In the final, it s about the influence strrigle between two big countries-U.S and China,just like two men fight for one woman. LOL~

 

[Belesari]

As others have stated its more of a big thing to News agencies and North Korean Domestic consumption than to the US, South Korea or PRC. China feels obligated to make a nod in the direction of what it knows is a powerful force but does see as much of a threat really.

The exercise is both just that, and a message. The Party got it.

Far worse things have happened between the US and NK than just that exercise. I believe it was in the 80's when some soldiers clearing brush on the SK side were attacked by some NK troops and chopped into bits. We never went to war they got more stuff.

Point is except to news agencies slathering at the mouth for stories and rating it wasnt all that.



as a side note:

Though the Yellow sea is a different story that some places. Many of the islands there are claimed by everyone from China, Japan, indonesia, Vietnam, the Phillapines and a few others. Its complicated

 

[localhost127]

why wouldn't china want US/Skorea exercises close to her borders?

china could then perform ELINT and monitoring of how the US and S Korea operate/train, gaining information that could be useful in the future

does this sound reasonable?

 

[Belesari]

why wouldn't china want US/Skorea exercises close to her borders?

china could then perform ELINT and monitoring of how the US and S Korea operate/train, gaining information that could be useful in the future

does this sound reasonable?

They already do all of that and China doesnt want a US allie or any possible oponent with a clear shot at its heartland. They are already surounded on their coast line by US, Japanese, SK, etc, fleets.

 

[Chino]

China regards the Yellow Sea as exclusive theirs and has a long history of harassed foreign vessels in the area to the point engineering a series of ‘accidents’ (collisions and such). They do not recognize the 12 mile limit in this regard, but do not want a shooting war either, so they are just making trying to make it too troublesome to operate there. The protests are part of this, probably in hope of eventually get an acknowledge in some ‘quid pro quo’ diplomatic deal in the future.

China shares the Yellow Sea with 3 potential enemies: S Korea, Japan and Taiwan. All three states are CLOSE ALLIES of the US. And both Japan and S Korea host US military bases.

So it is no rocket science why China is paranoid about the Yellow Sea.

You can see it as China behaving like a bully, but I see it as China feeling really insecure what with the weak PLAAF and PLAN compared to the combined strength the other 3 states present.

Also, don't forget, the US electronic listening vessels and aircraft routinely patrol this area just beyond the so-called "exclusion zone". I'm a novice but I would imagine a US spy aircraft or ship patrolling 12 miles from the coast of China can pick up a heck of a lot of intel.

Again, shoe-on-the-other-foot... if the Chinese are patrolling with spy vessels/aircrafts within 12 miles of the US mainland, the Americans won't be nice about it, either.

 

[rip]

I think that you are wrong. The US put up with the Russians, way back when, when they sent their intelligence trawlers close to the US cost on several occasions. We followed them at a safe distance but did not interfere. Preserving own stance of the freedom of the sea’s. The Russians intelligence take was very small because most of the information the trawlers could get was freely available. The US is an open society so the Russians only did it so as to try to irritate us but it didn’t. We took lots of pictures and showed the trawlers on the Six O’clock news and thought it was very funny.