Hormoz Jafari in an interview with the site of Strategic Council on Foreign Relations pointed out to the joint military war game with China, called “Vostok means East”, in which countries like India, Tajikistan, Belarus and Mongolia also attend, and noted:” We have witnessed boosting relations and cooperation between China and Russia during recent years. The closer interactions can be analyzed within the framework of competitions among the East and the West major powers. At the present situation, the U.S. has forged an extensive confrontation with Russia. On the other side, it puts China under pressure at various aspects, the policy that was further underlined in the recent visit made by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to Taiwan”.
Expansion of China – Russia Cooperation in Confrontation with NATO
Having referred to the suspended relations between China and the U.S. in various fields, also strained relations between the U.S. and Russia, he added:” the confrontation conducted by NATO against Russia and China in different forms, has made the two countries further close to each other. Anyway, along with being military global powers that enjoy having broad economic cooperation, the two countries can meet each other’s requirements at various economic and energy spheres”.
The expert of Technology Studies Institute affiliated to the Presidency, further elaborated the various aspects of China – Russia cooperation at international bodies including Shanghai Cooperation Organization and added:” holding joint military drills organized by Russia and China in various forms within their joint cooperation, including Joint Military War Game among Iran, Russia and China, is assessed in line with response to pressures and threats against them as well as the competition among major powers”.
Having commented on the possibility of more prudent cooperation between China and Russia against the U.S. in a situation when both countries are experiencing various pressures from NATO, Jafari said:” China has announced that holding the joint military war game (joint exercise) has nothing to do with regional as well as international situation, and has interpreted it as a part of an annual bilateral cooperation agreement. In its declared position taking and regardless of its form, China acts conservatively. But what will practically happen is holding a military exercise with Russia’s presence that has its own meaning and bears its own messages”.
Having stated that China does not wish the region’s situation to be convulsive, he underscored:” there is a serious tension between China and the U.S. on Taiwan, and Beijing in determined in this connection. Yet, it makes effort to take position in a way that situation will turn from worse to the worst”.
Having referred to the extensive U.S. sanctions on Russia, the analyst of international affairs reminded:” in view of the interdependence of China’s economy on the global economy, the U.S. sanctions in various fields, will naturally raise impediments before the expansion of China – Russia cooperation. A lion’s share of Chinese economy is meant in its interaction with the U.S. economy. The two countries have about $ 600 billion trade exchanges. In such a situation, the sanctions are considered as one of the main obstacles for deepening China – Russia economic exchanges. However, from another perspective the very same sanctions will cause expedite the smuggling of goods and oil”.
Importance of India’s Presence in the Joint Military War Game between China & Russia
Jafari called the Indian presence in the Joint Military War Game as important and explained:” the U.S. has always made effort to introduce India as balancing factor versus China, and thus help India flex muscles versus China. India is considered to be the U.S. strategic partner in the Indian Ocean and East Asia region. The presence of the country in the joint military war game along with China and Russia will help reduce sensitivities on the military drill”.
Having stated that India as a country that has tension, various problems as well as territorial disputes with China has made a joint cooperation in the military exercise, he spelled out:” the present world of international relations is no more a unipolar world with the U.S. hegemony. Naturally, the regional countries such as India, that has broad interactions with the U.S., can not ignore the emergence of a new superpower called China in their neighborhood”.
Jafari said:” India has to adjust itself with the new international situation and takes steps in a road to expand its interaction with a country like China as a new emerging superpower”.
Having referred to the criticisms raised by Western countries against China and India for their presence in the Joint Military War Game along with Russia, the expert of Technology Studies Institute affiliated to the Presidency continued:” the West has accused India and China to accord their diplomatic support to Russia in its invasion of
Ukraine. The West tries to condemn and to isolate Russia at international scene. Holding of the joint military war game and deploying their soldiers to Russia by major Asian powers, is considered as a step to assist Russians depart from situations designed by the West for the country”.
Jafari emphasized:” through the joint military war game in which major Asian powers attended, Russians have sent the diplomatic message that they are not isolated at international scene and situation was not proceeded as the West wished for”.
Having referred to consequences of holding the joint military war game, he assessed the level of participating countries’ presence as important, and said:” the most important consequence of the military drill was the emphasis made by China and Russia to the possibility of their interaction, security building in the region, and the expression of needlessness of the presence of trans-regional countries like the U.S. In the meantime, it sends a message that what NATO and Western countries wish to happed as well as their interpretation of international developments and strategic issues led by the U.S., do not necessarily correspond with those interpretations of Asia countries”.
He added:” in a situation when Russia is under the pressure exerted by the West, holding of this military war game is an emphasis by Moscow that’s despite all pressures, they can interact with other countries and to form a kind of joint cooperation along with other important and influential countries of the region, even with India as a country of the West bloc”.