Despite escalating rivalry between the US and China, the two nation’s soldiers are set to participate in joint military drills in Brazil. 

The Brazilian Navy said in a recent announcement that for the first time, the US and Chinese military personnel are taking part in the joint military exercise, “Operation Formosa,” hosted by the Brazilian Armed Forces.

Operation Formosa is one of the biggest military drills to be conducted in Latin America since the late 1980s. The military drills are hosted close to the Brazilian city of Formosa and do not have any link with Taiwan, known as Formosa before being renamed in 1895.

The Brazilian Ministry of Defense stated that more than 3,000 soldiers are currently training as part of the drills that are supposed to continue till September 17.

China participated in Operation Formosa last year but it was only in the capacity of an observer while the US had sent troops from the US South Command.

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A Brazilian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, that this year’s exercise includes 33 personnel from the Chinese Navy and 54 from the United States Navy, marking the rare participation of troops from both nations.

“It is customary to invite friendly nations to participate in these exercises,” the Brazilian Navy said in a statement on September 7. “The importance of such invitations is directly linked to the opportunity to promote greater integration between the Brazilian Navy and the forces of friendly nations.”

On its part, the US Embassy in Brazil said in a statement on September 9 that the U.S. Marine Corps Forces South and the Brazilian Naval Infantry (CFN) started Exercise Formosa by kicking off drills aimed at enhancing the bilateral training partnership between the United States Marine Corps and Brazil. The statement made no mention of China’s participation in the drils.

“Our collaboration with the Brazilian Naval Infantry in Exercise Formosa underscores the importance of international cooperation in maintaining regional security,” said Lt. Gen. Leonard Anderson, commander of MARFORSOUTH and U.S. Marine Forces Reserve. “This combined, joint exercise allows us to build warfighting readiness as a team and we are honored to be here. Together, we are stronger and more capable of ensuring the safety and well-being of our nations.”

While the US and Brazil regularly conduct joint military drills, China’s participation in the ongoing Formosa drills comes at a time when the Latin American country has been seeking closer ties with Beijing. The Chinese Defense Ministry said the exercises would “deepen friendship and cooperation between the Chinese and participating militaries and enhance their ability to jointly respond to security risk challenges.”

Although China has recently held defense forums, senior military officer seminars, and military medical forums for Latin American nations, the Chinese military does not typically visit the Western hemisphere to participate in military exercises. This year’s exception, however, follows Brazil’s interest in joining China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and its willingness to deepen military cooperation with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The Brazilian Defense Ministry said the drills will simulate amphibious operations, in which warships strike an adversarial coastal territory to land on a designated beach. All weapon systems deployed will use live ammunition, enabling the army, air force, and navy to work together easily and more cohesively “while also promoting the exchange of experiences with allied forces from other countries”.

While this is the first time US and Chinese troops are participating in military drills held in Brazil, the two sides practiced military maneuvers together before the relationship went downhill in 2016.

The US invited Chinese troops for its multi-national RIM of the Pacific (RIMPAC) drills in 2016 for the last time. The invitation was not extended for the 2017 iteration due to Beijing’s expansion and militarisation in the South China Sea.

It is noteworthy that the participation of US and Chinese troops in Operation Formosa comes at a time when the two sides are making concerted efforts to engage with each other with an eye on stabilizing ties.

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Resuming Military Talks For Stabilization 

Chinese authorities announced on September 10 that the United States and China held their first-ever theater-level commander talks to normalize military relations and prevent miscommunication, particularly in sensitive areas like the South China Sea.

The development comes at a time when the US has taken a strong position against China’s aggressive maneuvers in the South China Sea in support of its ally, the Philippines. The US has also intensified engagement with the self-ruled Taiwan that China has vowed to annex.

However, as tensions continue to run high, the two sides have decided to engage with each other to achieve a thaw in ties. The US has been seeking a regular military contract with China following last year’s historic low in relations caused by the US downing a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

The Head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Sam Paparo, spoke with Wu Yanan, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Southern Theater Command, in a video conference on September 10. The areas of responsibility for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command include the two hotspots—Taiwan Strait and South China—that have imperiled US-China ties in recent times.

A readout from the Chinese Defense Ministry stated that there was a “deep discussion of opinions on matters of shared interest” between the two parties.

On his part, the US Indo-Pacific Commander described the discussion as a “constructive and respectful” debate and asked the PLA “to reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive, and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea and beyond”.

The discussions held on September 10 followed an agreement to hold talks at a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s top military advisor and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing last month.

Earlier, in a bid to stabilize the relationship, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a visit to Beijing and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

At that time, Xi told the top US diplomat that the two superpowers “should be partners rather than rivals,” signaling that the need to stabilize the relationship and put an end to the rising tensions was likely a mutual priority for both sides.

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