Operation "Formosa": US and China Team Up for Joint Military Drills in Brazil?
The Name Game: A Historical Quip?
September 11,2024 Rikeza Editorial Team
The recent announcement of the first-ever China-US military exercises, "Operation Formosa," hosted by the Brazilian Armed Forces, has raised more than a few eyebrows.
The exercises, which will take place until September 17, 2024, will involve over 3,000 soldiers, including 33 personnel from the Chinese Navy and 54 from the United States Navy. But what's behind this seemingly bizarre collaboration between two nations that have been engaging in a series of massive military exercises against each other in recent years?
China’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed their participation, adding layers to this international enigma.
The Name Game: Why Formosa?
Operation Formosa will stretch from Brasilia to, well, the “wrong Formosa.”
With Brazil’s endless options of local cities, you’d think they’d pick something a little less loaded. Like “Operation Brasilia”? or “Operation Rio”?.
Instead, we’re left with a Cold War flashback, with a name that seems to taunt the very history it seeks to evade.
Is it a political taunt, a historical nod, or merely a high-stakes game of “Let’s see who gets the joke”?
For those who may not know, Formosa is the Western term for Taiwan, derived from the Portuguese phrase “Ilha Formosa,” meaning “Beautiful Island.”
The name has been associated with Taiwan since the 16th century.
Vice Admiral Robert P. Briscoe holding a press conference on Operation King Kong at the Pentagon on February 2, 1955
President Eisenhower Signs House Joint Resolution 159. It Authorized Use Of Armed Forces For Protecting Formosa
"Formosa Resolution" 1955
The Taiwan Straits Crises of 1954-55 and 1958 were a series of tense confrontations between the United States and China over the status of Taiwan.
The situation in the Strait deteriorated in late 1954 and early 1955, prompting the U.S. Government to act.
In January 1955, the U.S. Congress passed the "Formosa Resolution," which gave President Eisenhower total authority to defend Taiwan and the off-shore islands.
So, naming this cozy little exercise after Formosa, with both the U.S. and China playing on the same team, is either a wickedly ironic joke or a blatant provocation.
Real Ammunition, Imaginary Enemies
As the Brazilian Navy so helpfully explained, it is “customary to invite friendly nations to participate in these exercises.”
But with 33 Chinese and 54 US personnel practicing war games, who are the “unfriendly” nations in this script?
Who’s the Enemy Here?
And what exactly is the target of these exercises?
"Let's See How Many Nations Can Get Confused at Once."
One can only imagine the coordination meetings: "Yes, we’ll land troops here, and you’ll land yours there.
They’ll be playing with tanks, armored vehicles, aircraft, artillery, and missile launchers.
It will also involve counterterrorism and cybersecurity.
The joint military exercise Operation Formosa. Photo: Brazilian Navy
U.S. Marines Participate in Brazilian Marine Corps Exercise Formosa. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Wetzel
The Irony of the Recent Arms Race
Because if you’ve been paying attention, the last few years have been nothing short of an arms race on steroids.
NATO countries are drilling like there’s no tomorrow, with exercises staged across Europe, the Arctic, and the Pacific.
On the other side, China, Russia, and Iran are holding military extravaganzas of their own, as if preparing for some inevitable global showdown.
The year 2024 saw massive war games on both fronts, signaling what appeared to be the next chapter in a new Cold War.
And now they’re sharing battle plans like old friends in the Brazilian wilderness?
Soldiers assigned to a brigade under the Chinese PLA 81st Group Army carry out an improvised war preparedness maneuver training exercise aiming to hone the troops' quick response ability on July 9, 2024. Photo by Cao Zhuang)
U.S. Marines and marines from Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru, conduct an amphibious raid during UNITAS 2024.
A Golden Opportunity or a Trojan Horse?
Brazilian Army General Tomas Miguel Ribeiro Paiva’s visit to Beijing in July to discuss strengthening cooperation in various areas, including science, technology, and defense, seems like a calculated move to pave the way for China’s military expansion in the region.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s announcement of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s participation in the exercise, following an invitation from the Brazilian military, only adds fuel to the fire.
The celebration of the 50th anniversary of China-Brazil diplomatic relations in January 2024, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s promise of a “golden 50 years” in bilateral relations, seems like a thinly veiled attempt to mask China’s true intentions.
Is this exercise a genuine attempt at fostering cooperation, or a strategic power play to expand China’s military influence in the region?
If this is a metaphorical nod to the still-simmering Taiwan issue, it’s one heck of a bad joke.
The only way this could be more absurd is if the exercise took place on a beach in Honolulu, just to rub salt in the historical wounds.
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)