QUESHAN: China’s armed forces concluded their first multinational peacekeeping exercise on Wednesday, showcasing their combat capability with drones and mine-clearing robots, while seeking to project a more benign image.
As the Asian giant modernizes and strengthens its military by investing hundreds of billions of dollars annually in its defense budget, it has also attempted to reassure other nations that its military is a force for good, a threat. No.
About 1,000 soldiers from China, Pakistan, Mongolia and Thailand participated in a 10-day exercise at the People’s Liberation Army Training Base in Queshan County, Henan’s central province.
The exercise, named “Shared Destiny 2021”, underscored China’s position as a “staunch defender of world peace and international order”, Senior Colonel Lu Jianxin, a Chinese military expert on peacekeeping, told reporters at the base.
In front of a small group of journalists, soldiers carry out a clash between terrorists and peacekeepers in the conflict-torn fictional country of Karana.
The exercise was based on a 2016 incident in Mali when Chinese peacekeepers were attacked and one of them was killed.
Soldiers re-enacted a scene based on another 2016 incident in South Sudan, when peacekeepers had to protect civilians captured in fighting between factions.
In another scenario, drones buzzed the battlefield to find bombs that, when found, were disposed of by robots. The drones also doubled as loudspeakers and issued multi-colored leaflets urging people to stop fighting.
The exercise was also a showcase for Chinese military hardware. Foreign soldiers trained with Chinese weapons and other equipment.
Colin Koh, Defense Research Fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said, “The use of Chinese equipment by foreign troops can be seen as a sign of increased military interoperability … and for the purposes of marketing them to foreign armies. from as well.” .
China has repeatedly sought to address concerns in neighboring countries and move forward about its military intentions, even as it conducts regular exercises in Chinese-claimed Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea. does.
China prides itself on being the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the major powers, as represented by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
Published in Dawn, September 16, 2021
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