By Sun Qi
孙琦
The US and the Philippines launched the 18-day annual joint exercise dubbed Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) in Manila on April 11. This year's exercise has new changes and upgrades in terms of troops scale, exercise area, and content. Considering the recent continuous increase of the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, frequent military exercises with Japan, ROK, and promotion of the upgrading of military cooperation in small clique, this exercise deserves high attention from all countries in the region.
4月11日，菲律宾和美国在菲首都马尼拉启动为期18天的2023年度“肩并肩”联合军事演习。此次演习，无论兵力规模、演习地域还是演习内容，都有新的变化和升级。考虑到近期美国不断加强亚太地区军事投入，极力拉拢日本、韩国等国频繁进行军演，推动“小圈子”军事合作不断升级，此次演习更加值得地区国家高度警惕。
From the scale of troops invested in the exercise, the Philippines has deployed 5,400 personnel, while the US has deployed up to 12,200 personnel from various services. In addition, there are also over a hundred members of the Australian Defense Force and observers from other 12 countries including Japan. The number of participants doubled compared with that of last year. In terms of the exercise area, the exercise may cover the four newly established US military bases, which are adjacent to the Babuyan Channel and Balintang Channel as well as China's Nansha Islands. It is clear that the purpose of the US-Philippine military exercise is not as simple as the US-claimed to defend the Philippines.
从演习投入的兵力规模看，菲律宾出动了5400人，美军各军种参演兵力多达1.22万人，此外还包括澳大利亚国防军百余人，以及来自日本等12个国家的观察员，参演人数是去年的近两倍。从演习地域看，“肩并肩”演习范围可能覆盖前不久新设的4个美军基地，而这些基地邻近巴布延海峡、巴林塘海峡和南沙群岛。不难看出，美菲军演的目的绝不止美国所谓的“保卫菲律宾”那么简单。
According to the exercise contents announced by the US and the Philippines, it is evident that the exercise is aimed at the maritime situation. The two sides will conduct joint air defense and anti-missile exercises, with the US practicing the mobile deployment of the Patriot PAC-3 missile system and the Avenger air defense missile system, and their high-altitude and low-altitude air defense capabilities. This fully demonstrates that the US military attaches great importance to the military infrastructure deployed in the Philippines, with a focus on preventing opponents from using long-range attack ammunition to destroy or paralyze the US military presence in the Philippines. In addition, cyber attacks and defense have also been included in this joint drill for the first time.
再看美菲对外公布的演习内容，针对海上态势的意味尤为明显。双方将展开联合防空与反导演习，美军将在演习中演练机动部署“爱国者-3”导弹系统和“复仇者”防空导弹系统，演练中高空与低空防空作战能力。这充分说明美军十分看重在菲部署的军事基础设施，重点防范对手使用远程攻击弹药击毁或瘫痪美军在菲力量体系。此外，网络攻防也首次被纳入联演中。
Analysts point out that although the dubbed Balikatan is a routine exercise, lead and manipulate by the US, it has become a tool for accelerating the implementation of the US's "integrated deterrence" strategy and coercing regional countries to take sides.
分析人士指出，尽管美菲“肩并肩”演习是双方例行性演习，但在美国的主导和运作下，已成为美加速推行“一体化威慑”战略、胁迫地区国家选边站队的工具。
In recent years, the US has attempted to turn the Philippines into an anti-China outpost by strengthening military cooperation, so it can fill the gap in the Pacific "island chain" that the US has painstakingly built. The US-Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held on the same day the joint military exercise was launched. The joint statement issued at this dialogue proposed that both sides will promote the rapid deployment of new US military bases in the Philippines, and the US will provide financial support for this.
近年来，美妄图通过加强对菲军事合作，将其变成反华前哨，从而补上美煞费苦心经营的太平洋“岛链”的缺口。就在这次军演启动当天，美菲“2+2”部长级对话会举行。此次对话会发表的联合声明提出，双方将推进美国在菲新增军事基地快速部署，美将为此提供资金支持
The Cold War thinking and hegemonic logic of the US behind the shoulder-to-shoulder exercise are bound to pose greater risks and challenges to the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region. Wherever the US military goes, it leaves behind a chaotic, divided and perforated mess. Under the guise of joint exercises, the US is forming cliques in the Asia-Pacific region and pushing for the Indo-Pacific Strategy, which will only create regional divisions, destroy peace and hinder development. Many Filipinos held protests against this military exercise, and some scholars called on the Philippines to adhere to an independent foreign policy.
美国在“肩并肩”演习背后隐藏的冷战思维和霸权逻辑，势必让亚太地区的和平稳定面临更大的风险挑战。环顾全球，美军所到之处留下的都是动荡、分裂和千疮百孔的烂摊子。借联合演习之名，美在亚太地区拉帮结派，强推“印太战略”，只会制造地区分裂、破坏和平、阻滞发展。演习举行期间，不少菲律宾民众举行集会抗议军演，一些学者呼吁菲律宾坚持独立自主的外交政策。
The Asia-Pacific region is the shared home for the countries in this region. Blindly catering to external forces will fail to maintain their own security, intensify the tense situation and harm regional peace and stability, which ultimately leads to self-inflicted harm.
亚太是地区国家的共同家园。相关国家应牢牢把自身安全的“生命线”掌握在自己手里，一味迎合域外势力不仅无法维护自身安全，反而将加剧局势紧张、危害地区和平稳定，也必将殃及自身。
