China and Russia have two of the world's most powerful militaries, and
their growing defense cooperation has long been a subject of interest to
the United States. Studying their military exercises provides insights
for several questions of critical importance for the U.S. Army: What are
the evolving power-projection capabilities of the Chinese and Russian
armed forces? How have their tactics, techniques, and procedures evolved
over time? How do the Chinese and Russian militaries conduct joint
operations, from planning to execution? What is their level of
operational interoperability-physical and otherwise? How might they
conduct a future counterterrorist or counterinsurgency campaign in
Central Asia, or maintain regional security in the region following the
withdrawal of most North Atlantic Treaty Organization combat forces from
Afghanistan? This monograph helps us to answer these questions, as well
as consider the broader nature of the trilateral relationship between
China, Russia, and the United States.