Do you think China is provoking Japan in their cooperative training exercise with Russia?

First of all we don't have much of a leg to stand on considering we basically do the same thing all the time.

In more depth though, absolutely they are. But I don't think they are trying to start a war, they are flexing their military might and being sure their potential adversaries (and any fledgling nations they want to sway) take them seriously.

PFC Joseph Levi There is definitely no love loss between these two nations. China would love the opportunity (secretly) to most likely pound Japan back into the stone age. I think that Russia and China are really stubbing there nose at the United States by holding joint military exercises. They are just flexing their muscle to show the West that the East is ready and willing to respond to any aggression that effects their national interests. I don't think either coountry would start a war, but their reaction time if they felt aggression would be very quick. It is a dangerous world we live in unfortunately and the chance of world peace in our lifetime seems very far away!

I owe you a "vote up" for the post and discussion Joe. I ran out early this morning trying to catch from the previous days. It's a constant battle for me!

Maybe it's me, but I'm less concerned with overt shows of military force of any nation compared with covert/electronic attempts on the breaching of networks in the cyber realm. We have the ability to properly deal with any overt aggressive force on the earth with overwhelming force (Japan knows we have it's back in a crisis, so no need to worry there); but we're still lacking (although not by much) in the cyber realm, and our "competition" (Russia and China amongst others) are beating the brakes off us publicly. I know better than to think we're not dealing them some justice in the cyber realm as payback.