Asian armies try to win friends and influence

Cobra Gold exercises, the world's largest annual multilateral wargames, were held on 1-11 February, but this year they had a new participant. Besides the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore, for the first time around 411 South Korean forces took part.

Gen Ratchakrit Kanchanawat, joint chief of staff of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, said in January that the exercises were about peacekeeping, not "the global balance of power". Yet, in the wake of reports in 2009 that China would hold its own exercises with Thailand, it is difficult to separate the exercises from military diplomacy and regional alliances.