Russia gave rise to its biggest military maneuver since the Cold War, and did not do it alone, since the deployment is also accompanied by China. Vostok 2018 is the name of the military exercises in which Russia put a third of its armed forces to work: about 300 thousand troops that arrived to Siberia, far from the West, so as not to arouse concerns in the Atlantic Treaty Organization North (NATO). In the exercises, a thousand aircraft and more than 80 ships were deployed. China collaborated with 3,000 soldiers, forming part of a maneuver of a magnitude in which they had rarely been able to participate.
According to the international analyst Raul Sohr, the inclusion of China has as its motive to take care of the relations and reassure them about the exercises that are carried out near the border.
"China is a very important trading partner for Russia, not Russia for China," Sohr said. In fact, Russia represents less than 1% of the Chinese economy in terms of its foreign trade.
This could generate the development of an alliance that is already reflected in the economic and military, but could also go to the political.
In any case, the message is clear and is aimed at the West with the BBC London invited to film the exercises: "the period in which they could push and cower has passed".
By: CNN