As Asia's largest military exercise involving the United States begins in Thailand and China gains influence in the Indo-Pacific region, it is believed to be aimed at increasing the presence of the United States.
Asia's largest military exercise, "Cobra Gold," will begin in Thailand on the 22nd of this month, led by the U.S. and Thai troops. 35 Self-Defense Forces members have been dispatched.
According to the Thai Army, in this exercise, the number of participants was about 3,500, which was about 40% of the original plan, in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
In addition, although exercises using live ammunition have been canceled, in addition to combat training using amphibious armored vehicles, training to confirm response in the event of a disaster is being conducted in various parts of Thailand.
This month, the Biden administration of the United States announced the Indo-Pacific strategy, which will be the pillar of foreign policy, and plans to further strengthen relations with Southeast Asian countries and Japan, with a view to countering China, which is becoming more influential in the region. is showing.
For this reason, it is believed that this exercise also aims to increase the presence of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region and to emphasize its stance of emphasizing this region.