The joint naval exercises of South Africa, Russia and China, which will be held at the end of February, cause concern for the United States, as they are afraid of losing control in the Indian Ocean, but for Moscow and Beijing, this kind of cooperation is a normal part of a strategic partnership, said the head of the Research Center strategies and peace of the PRC Diplomatic Academy Su Hao.
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According to the expert, China and Russia are world powers with global influence, so their cooperation can be reflected in various aspects and geographical points.
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“For China, the Indian Ocean and Africa are important areas in terms of cooperation within the framework of the One Belt, One Road. I think that as strategic partners, we can carry out this kind of cooperation along the Belt and Road, reflecting the common interests of Russia and China, because Russia actively supports the Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road,” Su Hao said.
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However, the expert noted that the United States is very unwilling to see the success of the initiative, so Washington considers any close cooperation of China in the territories along the Belt and Road, and especially along the Maritime Silk Road, a threat.
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“The United States attaches great importance to the entire Indian Ocean,” Su Hao said, recalling that the most important US Navy base, Diego Garcia, is located there.
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“This helps them control the movement along the sea routes of the Indian Ocean. Therefore, the United States fears that the joint exercises of China and the Russian Federation off the coast of South Africa will jeopardize their control in the Indian Ocean,” the expert concluded.
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Earlier it was reported that the Republic of South Africa, Russia and China are planning to hold joint naval exercises off the east coast of South Africa from February 17 to 27, 2023.
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The US Embassy in South Africa said that Washington was concerned about such plans. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he did not understand why military exercises together with Chinese and South African partners could cause a “mixed reaction” from society, US exercises off the coast of China did not raise any questions.
