8月9日至8月13日，“西部·联合-2021”演习在中国陆军青铜峡合同战术训练基地举行。从2005年至今，16年间，中俄两军在双边和多边框架下多次举行“和平使命”“海上联合”等系列联合演习。而“西部·联合-2021”是俄军首次成建制参加中方主导的战略战役演习。
From August 9 to 13, the joint exercise Zapad/Interaction-2021 was held at the coordination tactical training ground of the PLA Army in Tsingtungxia, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. Since 2005, China and Russia have held a series of joint military exercises such as the “Peace Mission” , “Joint Sea” under the bilateral and multilateral frameworks. In the Zapad/Interaction-2021, the Russian military has for the first time dispatched an organic troop unit to take part in an exercise of military strategics and campaigns led by the Chinese side.
中国科学院中国发展战略学研究会国防战略委员会专家委员、国防大学战略教研部教授金一南少将认为，这次演习标志着中俄两军的联合水平又迈上了新台阶。
Tsentr (Center) - 2019 and Kavkaz - 2020 Major General Jin Yinan, an expert of the National Defense Strategy Committee of China Development Strategics Association at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor of the Department of Strategic Education and Research at the PLA National Defense University (NDU), observed the exercise at the training ground. He believed that this exercise marks a new high of cooperation between the two armed forces.
“中俄联手，共筑和平”
“China and Russia: Joining hands to build peace”
在此次演习现场，我看到一个很大的标语，上面写着“中俄联手，共筑和平”。这句话，其实展示了这次演习的重大政治意义。
A slogan of the exercise reading “China and Russia: Joining hands to build peace” demonstrated the political significance of the exercise, Jin said in an interview.
此次演习以联合维护地区安全稳定为课题，中俄两军混合编组、合帐筹划、联合行动。在以前的演习过程中，各有各的指挥信息系统，而这次演习中第一次运用了中俄专用的作战指挥信息系统平台，基本上实现了中俄两军融合编组。在中俄专用的作战指挥信息系统下，中俄两军完成了陆空作战力量的协同，统一了双方的作战规则协议，建立了包括战场信息情报系统在内的统一作战系统。
In the exercise, focusing on jointly safeguarding regional security and stability, the Chinese and Russian participating troops were mixed into groups, made drilling plans together and carried out joint operations. In addition, a special operational command information system for both militaries was put into function in the exercise for the first time, making the mixed grouping of the participating troops of the two militaries possible. Under the special operational command information system, the two militaries accomplished coordination between their air and ground forces, unified the combat rules of both sides, and established a united operational system including the battlefield information system.
在此次演习中，俄罗斯官兵大量使用了中国的武器系统。对我军的武器装备，无论是战役战术性能，还是实用性，俄罗斯官兵都给予了好评。
During the exercise, the Russian troops used a large number of weapon ssystems provided by the Chinese side and spoke highly of them in terms of both the operational and tactical performance and practicalities, Jin said.
“中俄联手，共筑和平”，绝不仅仅是今天我们才联起手来共筑和平，中俄的合作是有历史传统的。我们中国人民志愿军1950年跨过鸭绿江的时候，一方面是志愿军广大官兵在朝鲜战场浴血奋战，另一方面也得到苏联的大力援助。当年，苏联援助了我们一大批陆军装备和空军装备。过去是中苏合作，今天是中俄合作，我们两国共同维护地区和平，绝不是今天才开始的。
China and Russia stand hand in hand to build peace. The cooperation between the two countries has a long history. Jin said that in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) received substantial assistance from the Soviet Union, for example, the Soviet Union offered a large number of armaments for CPV’s land and air forces. The history of cooperation between China and Russia to jointly safeguard regional peace should date back to the cooperation between China and the Soviet Union in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Jin concluded.
将合作的基础打得更牢
Laying a firmer foundation for cooperation
中俄合作的良好局面绝不仅仅是今天突然出现的。实际上，我们过去就有良好、成功的合作。现在，我们两国通过军队的联合演习，把合作的基础打得更牢了，在新的条件下实现了更深入的合作。这次演习合作是陆空有效融合配合，展开了一场从太空到地面的立体化军事行动。下一步，中俄海军还要举行联合军演。
The favorable situation of China-Russia cooperation does not pop up in recent years. In fact, China and Russia have been in good and successful cooperation since a long time ago, now, through joint military exercises, the two countries have laid a more solid foundation for deeper cooperation under new conditions. This joint exercise was featured with an effective integration and coordination between the land and air forces, the next joint exercise will be staged between the Chinese and Russian navies, Jin said.
我认为，这次中俄陆空的有效协同，实实在在地向全世界展示了两个国家联手维护地区和平的能力，中俄两军已经不再是单打独斗了。我们中国经常讲，要维护地区和平；俄罗斯也多次表示，要维护地区和平。我相信，“中俄联手，共筑和平”，将是一个争取和平的全新领域和全新能力。
In his opinion, the effective coordination between the Chinese and Russian land and air forces in the joint exercise Zapad/Interaction-2021 has truly demonstrated to the world that the two countries have capability to jointly safeguard regional peace, instead of fighting alone. To safeguard regional peace has been a consensus between China and Russia, Jin believes that the cooperation between the two countries to jointly safeguard peace will be a new area and will create new capabilities in their strive for peace.
