US intensifies military deployment in Northeast Asia in excuse of "deterring DPRK"

美以“威慑朝鲜”为借口强化在东北亚军事部署

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Wang Xinjuan
Time
2023-03-22 17:31:15

By Xiang Haoyu

项昊宇

On March 20 local time, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an interim meeting on the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula. In response to the escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese representative pointed out at the meeting that it was the US and other countries deterrent pressure that has led to the intensification of conflicts, and criticized the US side for adopting double standards on non-proliferation issues.

当地时间3月20日,联合国安理会就近期朝鲜半岛局势举行临时会议。针对朝鲜半岛紧张局势加剧,中方代表在联合国安理会临时会议上指出,是美国等国的威慑施压导致矛盾激化,并批评美国在防扩散问题上采取双重标准。

On the issue of the Korean Peninsula, China's position has been consistent for a long time, which can be summed up in one sentence: China has been committed to resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultation, achieving the denuclearization of and establishing a permanent peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula.

在朝鲜半岛的问题上,长期以来中方的立场是一以贯之的,归纳起来就是一句话,支持通过对话协商解决朝核问题,实现半岛无核化,并建立永久和平机制。

The ROK-US joint military exercise codenamed Ssangyong (which means “double dragons” in Korean) has been restarted after 5 years since the last time, aiming to strengthen the integrated operational capability of the ROK-US alliance, with the main subject of large-scale joint landing operation drill. Xiang Haoyu, a specially appointed research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that the exercise has shown three new characteristics different from the past. First, a significant expansion in scale. For the first time, the exercise has been expanded to a division level, with over 30 ships, over 70 military aircraft, and over 50 armored vehicles from both sides, on an unprecedented scale. Second, advanced weapons and equipment.The exercise featured B-1B strategic bombers, F-35A stealth fighters and Apache helicopters from the US and the ROK, and for the first time the MV-22 Osprey of the US Marine Corps for landing operations. Third, third-party involvement.The US B-1B bombers involved in the training on the Peninsula conducted a joint drill with four F-15 fighter jets of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force over the Sea of Japan, on the way from the US to the ROK. In addition, this exercise also invited the Royal Marines of the UK for the first time, with the aim of strengthening multilateral operational capability in coordination.

韩美时隔5年重启“双龙”军演,旨在加强韩美同盟的一体化作战能力。演习的主要科目是大规模联合登陆作战演练。中国国际问题研究院亚太研究所特聘研究员项昊宇分析指出,这次“双龙”演习展现出不同于以往的三个新特点:第一是规模明显扩大。这次演习首次扩大为师级规模,双方共出动30余艘舰艇、70余架军机,以及50余辆装甲车参演,规模空前。第二是武器装备先进。美军出动B-1B战略轰炸机,韩美还出动了F-35隐形战机和阿帕奇武装直升机等先进攻击型武器,还首次使用美国海军陆战队的“鱼鹰”直升机进行登陆作战。第三是第三方参与。这次赴半岛演训的B-1B轰炸机是从美国本土前往韩国的途中,在日本海上空与日本航空自卫队4架F-15战机实施了联合演练。此外,这次演习还首次邀请英国皇家海军陆战队参与演习,旨在强化多边协调作战能力。

Judging from the subjects, the exercise has explicitly targeted the DPRK. First, it has paid more attention to actual combat needs and highlighted landing operational drills while specifically considering the geographical characteristics of the Korean Peninsula. Second, it has catered to the needs of unconventional warfare, with the US having deployed strategic weapons. Third, it has strengthened "block" confrontation, with the direct or indirect participation of the UK and Japan in the exercise, which also reflects the intention of the US and the ROK to use external forces to strengthen pressure on the DPRK.

从这次演习的科目和内容看,针对朝鲜的意图明显。一是更加注重实战需要,突出登陆作战演练,并且专门针对朝鲜半岛的地理特征。二是突出适应非常规战争需要的特点,这次美国出动战略级武器。三是强化“阵营化”对抗,英国和日本直接或间接参与美韩军演,也反映出美韩希望借助外部力量来强化对朝施压的企图。

Since 2023, the US has continuously conducted various types of military activities against the DPRK on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding areas, with the level and scale of joint exercises enhanced. Xiang Haoyu believes that from a series of US-ROK military exercises, the US has been taking advantage of the changes in the situation on the Korean Peninsula and even in Northeast Asia to accelerate the forward military deployment in Northeast Asia. On the surface, the US-ROK joint military exercise is a response to a series of missile launches by the DPRK since 2022, but the US intention clearly cannot be restricted to this. Instead, it has been vigorously using the so-called "nuclear threat" of the DPRK to re-tighten the US-ROK alliance and strengthen the centripetal force of the ROK and Japan, two allies of the US.

今年以来,美国持续在半岛及周边频繁进行各类针对朝鲜的军事活动,提高联演级别和规模。项昊宇认为,从一系列韩美军演看,美国正在利用朝鲜半岛乃至东北亚局势的变化,在加快东北亚地区的前沿军事部署。表面看,美韩军演是对去年以来朝鲜一系列导弹发射活动的回应,但美国的用意显然不限于此,而是在积极利用所谓的“朝鲜威胁”,来重新拉紧美韩同盟,增强韩国和日本这两个盟友的向心力。

From a broader perspective, the DPRK is not a major strategic opponent to the US, and the US foreign strategic focus is still on the containment and suppression of China and Russia. The special geographical location of the Korean Peninsula determines its position as an important strategic point, a frontier that the US is now striving to win over to suppress and contain China and Russia, and also a strategic fulcrum that the US is striving to build. In this sense, it is in the strategic interest of the US to maintain separation on the Korean Peninsula and even to create certain tensions. Therefore, the intensified military activities of the US on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding areas are actually aimed at strengthening its military deployment in Northeast Asia under the banner of "deterring the DPRK", and creating the "Iron Triangle" alliance between the US, Japan, and the ROK. In essence, the US aims to achieve the goal of "containing China and Russia".

从更大范围看,朝鲜并不是美国的主要战略对手,美国的对外战略重点还是要围堵打压中国和俄罗斯,而朝鲜半岛所处的特殊地缘位置决定了这是一个重要的战略要冲,是美国现在为了遏压牵制中俄,竭力要争夺的一个前沿阵地,也是美国全力打造的战略支点。从这个意义上讲,朝鲜半岛维持分裂状态,甚至出现一定的紧张局面,都是符合美国的战略利益的。所以说,美国在半岛及周边强化军事活动,实际上是打着应对“威慑朝鲜”的旗号,来强化其在东北亚的军事部署,打造美日韩“铁三角”同盟关系,实质上是想要达到一个“牵制中俄”的目的。

Editor's note: Originally published by the Wechat account of a commentary program of Hubei Television, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.

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