Between August 18 and 25, the Russian and Chinese militaries conducted the first historic air-land-sea air games stretching across the two countries strategic northeastern Pacific Ocean coasts. Most media and political commentators have described the focus of the exercise as targeting Taiwan. But a closer look shows the main thrust of the combined forces is on the Shandong Peninsula -- opposite the two Koreas and Japan on the Yellow Sea. This area, north of Shanghai, happens to be very long distance from Taiwan. Both Eurasian empires have a strategic relationship with North Korea. Both provide military supplies to the "Hermit Kingdom," which borders not only the Russian Far East near Vladivostok but also a substantial border along China's Manchurian provinces of Heilongjian, Jilin and Liaoning. If a preemptive war by the US would overthrow North Korea's nuclear-armed despotic regime, neither Russia or China would want US and/or Japanese troops posted in North Korea, along their Pacific borders.

TAIWAN NOT A "COUNTRY":
The joint military exercise is titled "Peace Mission 2005." According to an August 20 Reuters report, the exercise involves thousands of paratroop and armored infantry soldiers, sailors and naval infantry [marines]. The exercise is described in China's official press as "simulating to aid a third country that has broken down because of terrorist violence." Neither Russia or China [or the US] regard Taiwan as a "country." And repeatedly, as in the Balkans, the Chinese government has described US military actions as a form of state terrorism against a weaker nation.

Also being deployed are strategic bombers, in-flight refueling for state-or-the-art Sukhoi jet fighters, submarines, naval infantry landing craft, battalions of paratroopers from both armies and 100 Chinese battle tanks. The Russian military has described the objective to include seizing a beach in a "foreign country" in advance of a land offensive by the Chinese military. The most likely scenario for such a real-world conflict would not be the island of Taiwan, but the Korean peninsula.

The August 15 Washington Post reports, "Toward the end of the operation, the Russians will deploy strategic long-range bombers, which will fire cruise missiles at targets on the surface of the sea." The last time anyone checked, Osama bin laden did not have a conventional navy. Logically, this phase of the exercise could be only be aimed at US, Japanese and South Korean naval forces.

RIDING THE TIGER:
Commentators in the US and even Russia dismiss the exercise as merely a Russian weapons sale exhibit. However, it would be unwise to dismiss the political/military partnership between Moscow and Beijing. China does have grievances over unfair treaties that granted Russian Czars its Far Eastern lands. However, in many Chinese histories and famous novels, the Emperor or warriors seek to isolate and defeat their stronger rivals, one at a time. This includes making temporary non- sentimental alliances with those to whom they owe revenge, in order to first defeat a stronger adversary. Only after that has been achieved will the swords turn to exact vengeance on the erstwhile ally of convenience.

Both the former-Soviet and Chinese elites see the US not only as the source of the humiliating near-fall of Communism [it is still alive among the ruling elite in China, Vietnam, Cuba and Castro's "Bolivarian" disciple Hugo Chavez in Venezuela]. US and Japanese forces are also as their principal obstacles to achieving the glory of greater Empire. The current anti-US alliance began developing back in the Yeltsin era, when the initial weapons deals were made to target US strengths. The US success in the Balkans War initially enhanced the partnership between two Eurasian Powers. This was further strengthened by the eastern expansion of NATO, the shaky state of North Korea, role of US forces in Afghanistan and Central Asia, and more recently by the Sino-Soviet relationship with both Saddam Hussein and Iran.

Russian motivation for this alliance is more than just a matter of "weapons sales". Throughout history, the lust for revenge can be blind. Around five years ago, while I still worked in Congress, I had a very candid discussion with one of Vladimir Putin's key US watchers [ i.e. from the same organization of Putin's origin]. I asked him why Russians were risking their own future by arming the Chinese military. His response became very emotional: "We know we are riding the Tiger. But I witnessed the delegations of US businessmen led by Ron Brown [Clinton Administration Commerce Secretary] who came to Russia and how they conspired with our billionaire tycoons to exploit the Russian people."

FEAR OF A MILITARIZED JAPAN:
It would be unwise to underestimate the Russian leaders' desire to reclaim empire and seek revenge against the US for the humiliation of losing the Cold War andfeeling exploited. As eternal "victims," the Russian elite fails to point their fingers at their own corruption and reemergence of the ruthless and exploitive KGB as the ruling class. There is also a critical factor that the US, desperate for military allies in the wake of the current debacles in the Middle East, fails to realize: The entire region reflexively fears a re-militarized Japan that, as expressed South Korean officials, the United States may eventually not be able to control.