File photo: HMS Prince of Wales, an aircraft carrier of the UK. (Photo from CCTV Focus Today)
The UK recently announced that the UK military would join hands with the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the US military to organize joint military drills in the so-called "Indo-Pacific" region on a regular basis from 2025. It will dispatch an aircraft carrier strike group with the HMS Prince of Wales as the core to call at Japanese ports.
Military observer Liang Yongchun noted that the UK, Japan and the US planned to hold joint military drills in the Asia-Pacific, each with its own hidden intentions. He explained that on the part of the US, to facilitate its plan to build a multilateral military alliance network based on the US-Japan alliance in the Asia-Pacific region, the US needs the UK, which serves as the first European ally of Japan and the most "loyal" follower of the US, to take the lead to respond. As to Japan, it first needs to strengthen cooperation with US' military allies to gain support from the US in an attempt to "restore its status as a military power." The UK, however, is ambitious to expand its influence in the Asia-Pacific for the purpose of "rebuilding the empire on which the sun never sets".
It is noteworthy that during his visit to Japan last year, UK Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps announced the UK would send an aircraft carrier strike group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth to sail to Japan in 2025. However, HMS Queen Elizabeth will be replaced by HMS Prince of Wales according to the new plan. Liang pointed out that this indicates the UK's military strength is unable to support its ambitions.
As a matter of fact, the Royal Navy is facing a plethora of problems. According to Liang, the UK now has only two aircraft carriers and is short of military vessels. And the existing ones are in bad condition and often suffer malfunctions. Besides, the Royal Navy is grappling with plenty of loopholes in logistics support and armament management.
Furthermore, Liang pointed out that the US is attempting to involve all of its European NATO allies in its Asia-Pacific strategy, but the majority of European countries are more concerned about the security issues of Europe and show little interest in this. Therefore, the US expects the UK to set an example for its other allies in Europe, thus forcing them to follow suit. Under the coercing of the US and the "exemplary role" of the UK, it is likely that more European countries will interfere with the Asia-Pacific landscape. The fact the US is uniting its allies to build a multilateral military alliance network in the Asia-Pacific deserves attention.
Editor's note: Originally published on military.cnr.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.
