China has again been left out of the Rim of the Pacific military exercises that commenced this week off the coast of Hawaii and involve warships from 10 countries.
China's state controlled news media blasted the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump for conducting RIMPAC 2020 and not inviting the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Global Times, a tabloid owned by the Communist Party of China, claimed the U.S. strong armed allied navies into participating.
China was not invited to the 2018 exercise either. The U.S. accused China then of militarizing and building artificial islands in the South China Sea. People's Liberation Army Navy ships joined in 2014 and 2016 at the invitation of the Obama administration.
RIMPAC is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise and has been held every two years since 1971. Hosted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the exercise will involve at-sea exercises only as a result of COVID-19. The exercises conclude Aug. 31. There will be no amphibious beach assaults and the air component has been canceled.
Twenty warships carrying more than 5,300 personnel are now in the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii. That is far fewer vessels than took part in prepandemic exercises. Two years ago RIMPAC drew 46 surface warships from 25 countries, five submarines, 17 land force units, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel. RIMPAC 2018 lasted longer than a month. This year it is just for two weeks.
The Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Brunei Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the French Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Republic of Korea Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Philippine Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy are taking part.
"The at-sea-only construct for RIMPAC 2020 was developed to ensure the safety of all military forces participating by minimizing shore-based contingents," said Cmdr. John Fage of the U.S. 3rd Fleet in San Diego. The modified plan will allow the U.S. Navy to conduct a meaningful exercise with maximum training value and minimum risk to all the participants and the people of Hawaii, he said.
The largest warship at RIMPAC 2020 is the USS Essex out of San Diego and displacing 40,000 tons. The second largest is Japan's Hyuga-class destroyer JDS Ise displacing 19,000 tons.
