The China-Russia Naval Interaction-2021 maritime military exercise started in waters near Russia's Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan on Thursday, with the Chinese People's Liberation Army sending advanced warships including the Type 055 large destroyer Nanchang, the Type 052D destroyer Kunming, the Type 054A frigates Binzhou and Liuzhou to join the drill. Photo: VCG

The joint exercise of the US, Japan, Australia, Canada and Germany in East Asia would threaten regional peace and trigger dissatisfaction among regional countries, experts said, as the five countries began their ten-day exercise. 

Naval forces from Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and the US will conduct the multilateral, multinational exercise ANNUALEX in the Philippine Sea from November 21-30, according to the website of the US Pacific Fleet. 

During the exercise, the five naval forces will engage in enhanced maritime communication tactics, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, replenishments-at-sea, cross-deck flight operations and maritime interdiction maneuvers, the fleet said.

On Monday, Chinese think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative released satellite pictures, saying that they discovered 34 warships in waters to the south of Japan's Shikoku island, including the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, Japanese helicopter destroyer Izumo, Australia's destroyer HMAS Brisbane, Canadian warship HMCS Winnipeg and German navy frigate Bayern.

The situation in East Asia is comparatively peaceful and stable, and the joint exercise does not conform to the peaceful situation, which is another little trick of the US to form cliques, Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Research Academy, told the Global Times on Monday. 

ANNUALEX is a yearly naval training exercise led by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Naval forces from around the world are invited to participate to strengthen enduring relationships while sharpening naval proficiencies at all levels, according to the US Pacific Fleet's website.   

Japan is bluffing to deter China. It has to cater to the US strategy of great power competition. Certain Japanese politician and media wish to employ forces outside Asia to create trouble to China's rise, Chinese experts said. 

Experts noted that China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests when it comes to its core interests, not to mention that US' allies have their own calculations considering their close or strong economic ties with China.

And if these countries continue to stir the region, countries in the region aside from China would also feel dissatisfied, experts said. 

East Asian countries victimized by Japan's aggression during World War II have always remained vigilant against Japan, Zhang noted.       

On Saturday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy sent a Type 052D guided missile destroyer and a Type 054A guided missile frigate through the Tsushima Strait, after three PLA warships, a Type 052D guided missile destroyer, Type 054A guided missile frigate and a Type 903 replenishment ship, sailed through the Miyako Strait on Friday, according to press releases by the Japan Ministry of Defense Joint Staff on Monday and Saturday.