By Wang Fudong
王付东
Recently, the Korean Peninsula issue has continued to heat up, especially as the ROK has frequently acted on the international stage and held a series of rare large-scale military exercises including the Freedom Shield with the US. This round of US-ROK military exercises has undergone significant changes compared to the previous ones.
近期，朝鲜半岛问题持续升温，特别是韩国在国际舞台上动作频频，美韩之间举行了“自由盾牌”等一系列罕见大规模军演。与此前相比，本轮美韩军演与之前相比有了明显变化。
First, these military exercises were more aggressive and closer to real combat which underlined targeted attacks instead of mere defense in tandem with smooth administration on their occupied land and other practical scenarios. The US and the ROK also carried out "decapitation strike" and other highly stimulating exercise scenarios.
一是强调贴近实战训练，进攻性十足。这次军演的重点不再是防御朝鲜进攻，而是侧重于对朝鲜进攻和如何对占领的朝鲜领土进行平稳管理等情景。这期间，美韩还进行了“斩首行动”等高度刺激朝鲜的演习情景。
Second, the exercise lasts a long time. The Freedom Shield military exercise lasted 11 days and was the longest field maneuver exercise in history. A series of exercises were also conducted before and after it, including more than 20 exercises, such as the US-ROK Deterrence Strategy Committee Table-Top Exercise (DSC TTX), the US-ROK joint air drill, the US-ROK Crisis Management Exercise (CMX), the Double Dragons joint landing training, and the "Teak Knife" joint special operations training.
二是延续时间长。“自由盾牌”军演延续11天，是历届最长的野外机动演习。此次前后还进行系列演习，包括美韩延伸威慑手段运用演习（DSC TTX）、美韩空中联合演习、美韩危机管理演习（CMX）、“双龙”联合登陆训练和“柚木刀”联合特种作战训练（Teak Knife）等20多个训练。
Third, the exercise is large-scale. This round of exercise has resumed the theater-level joint field exercises that have been suspended since 2018, and the Double Dragons landing training participated by the Marine Corps has been expanded to division level. Strategic and advanced weapons such as the US B-52H strategic bomber, nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarine Springfield (SSN-761), and the B-1B strategic bomber are all out in force.
三是规模大。本轮演习恢复了2018年以来中止的战区级联合野战演习，海军陆战队参与的“双龙”登陆训练扩大为师团级规模。美国B-52H战略轰炸机、“尼米兹号”核动力航母、核动力潜艇“斯普林菲尔德”（SSN-761）、B-1B战略轰炸机等战略和先进武器倾巢而出。
In early March, ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol announced a state visit to the US on April 26. This is the second time since Biden took office to receive foreign leaders in the form of a state visit. Leaders of the two sides will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the formal establishment of the military alliance between the two countries through this visit.
3月初，韩国总统尹锡悦宣布于4月26日对美国进行国事访问，这是拜登政府上台以来第二次以国事访问规格接待的外国领导人，美韩领导人将借此次访问来纪念两国正式确立军事同盟关系70周年。
On March 16, Yoon Suk-yeol visited Japan, and the ROK and Japan announced that they would resume shuttle diplomacy, which had been suspended for 12 years. The two sides will strengthen security cooperation, fully normalize the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with limited operation during the Moon Jae-in administration, and strengthen security cooperation between the US, Japan and ROK. Japan and the ROK will also strengthen cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, and economic security, focusing on cooperation in the semiconductor industry chain, energy security, and other economic security fields.
3月16日，尹锡悦访问日本，韩日宣布将恢复已中止12年的穿梭外交。双方将强化安全合作，推动文在寅政府时期运行受限的《日韩军事情报保护协定》（GSOMIA）“完全正常化”，并强化美日韩安全合作。双方还将加强经贸和经济安全领域的合作，重点进行半导体产业链、能源安全等经济安全领域的合作。
The rapid repair of the ROK-Japan relations has opened up key bottlenecks that have hindered the establishment of the trilateral cooperation system between the US, Japan, and the ROK in recent years. Under the manipulation of the US, and under the pretext of the escalation of the DPRK nuclear threat, the trend of coalitions among the three countries in diplomacy, security, economic security and other fields is increasingly evident, with the opposing situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia intensifying, which poses a major challenge to the peace and prosperity of Northeast Asia.
韩日关系的快速修复，打通了近年来阻碍美国打造的美日韩三边合作体系的关键堵点。在美国的操盘之下，以朝核威胁升级为借口，美韩、日韩进而美日韩之间在外交、安全、经济安全等领域的抱团化趋势日益明显，朝鲜半岛和东北亚的阵营对立态势在加剧。这对东北亚地区的和平繁荣构成了重大挑战。
First, the US has increased its military presence in Northeast Asia and continuously upgraded its military cooperation with its East Asian allies, causing security pressure on other countries in the region, breaking the regional military balance, and exacerbating regional security dilemmas. This has led to an arms race among various countries, and the probability of gunfire between the north and south of the Korean peninsula is also rising.
一是美国在东北亚加大军事存在、与其东亚盟国不断升级军事合作，对地区其他国家造成安全压力，打破地区军事均衡，加剧地区安全困境。这已经造成了各国的军备竞赛，朝鲜半岛南北双方擦枪走火的概率也在不断攀升。
Second, the US has pushed its Japanese and ROK allies to build an economic security alliance and strengthen exclusive cooperation in fields such as semiconductors and new energy, which has undermined the good situation of economic exchanges and regional cooperation in Northeast Asia, one of the most prosperous regions in the world, and reduced the economic well-being of all countries.
二是美国力推其日韩盟友构建经济安全同盟，强化在半导体和新能源等领域的排他性合作，破坏了世界上最繁荣地区之一的东北亚经济交流和地区合作的大好形势，降低了各国的经济福祉。
Third, the US is to provoke ideological opposition. Under the influence of the US, Japan and ROK emphasize cooperation based on the so-called values of freedom and democracy, deliberately dividing camps and intensifying confrontation, undermining the trend of the post cold war era to dilute ideology and emphasize the harmonious coexistence of mankind.
三是挑动意识形态对立。在美国影响下，美日韩都强调所谓基于“自由民主价值观”的合作，刻意划分阵营和激化对立，破坏了后冷战时代淡化意识形态、强调人类和谐共生的时代潮流。
As the US continues to shift its focus to East Asia and provoke allies and partners to increase pressure on China, regional countries should work together to keep their homes away from the cold war and hot war. In particular, China, Japan, and the ROK with strong comprehensive national strength and close personnel and economic exchanges are supposed to start from historical experiences and lessons to explore a new path of peaceful cooperation and development, rather than repeat the old path of confrontation and conflict.
在美国不断将重心转移东亚、挑动盟国和伙伴加大对华施压的背景下，地区国家更应保持审慎，齐心协力让家门口远离冷战和热战。特别是中日韩综合国力强、人员和经济交往紧密，理应从历史的经验和教训出发，探寻和平合作发展的新路，而不重蹈对抗冲突的老路。
(The author is an associate researcher at the Institute of International Economics and Politics, Shandong Academy of Social Sciences, and a part-time researcher at the Korean Peninsula Research Center, University of International Business and Economics.)
（作者为山东社科院国际经济与政治研究所副研究员、对外经贸大学朝鲜半岛研究中心兼职研究员）
Editor's note: Originally published on China.com.cn, 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.
