As part of Exercise Formosa 2024, a combined military exercise that has started in Brazil, personnel from the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the Chinese Navy are participating in joint activities. This is one of the largest military exercises in Latin America, held since 1998, and it marks the first time that personnel from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are taking part in joint exercises on Brazilian soil.
In previous editions, which have taken place near the city of Formosa in Brazil, approximately 3,000 military personnel from Argentina, France, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Republic of the Congo, and South Africa have participated. Last year, U.S. troops from the Southern Command attended the exercise, while China participated as an observer.
The Brazilian Navy stated that “it is common to invite friendly nations to participate in these exercises,” as “the importance of such invitations is directly related to the opportunity to promote greater integration between the Brazilian Navy and the forces of friendly nations.” In this context, the Brazilian Ministry of Defense explained that the purpose of the exercise is to simulate amphibious operations where warships conduct attacks on a hostile coastal region, using live ammunition.
From the United States, the official statement highlighted that Exercise Formosa represents “200 years of strong and enduring partnership between the United States and Brazil,” and is a “testament to the mutual respect, trust, and professionalism of both forces.” “Our collaboration with the Brazilian Marine Corps in Exercise Formosa underscores the importance of international cooperation in maintaining regional security. Together, we are stronger and more capable of ensuring the security and well-being of our nations,” emphasized Lieutenant General Leonard Anderson, commander of MARFORSOUTH and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
China communicated that its participation in the exercise “is the latest step in expanding military cooperation between Beijing and Brasília.” They also noted that Chinese troops have previously participated in similar programs, such as the Jungle Warfare Training Center in Manaus, Brazil, in 2015, and that this collaboration was later extended to the Brazil Joint Peace Operations Training Center in 2017.
The historic aspect of this news lies in the fact that China and the United States have not conducted joint military exercises since 2016, when Washington invited Beijing to the Pacific Rim Exercise, also known as RIMPAC. However, in subsequent editions, the United States withdrew the invitation to China as a consequence of the “continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea.”
In this context, 33 Chinese Navy soldiers and 54 Marines will participate in this edition of Exercise Formosa, which will continue until next Tuesday. This was also confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Defense, adding that senior military officials held a call with their U.S. counterparts where they had a “deep exchange of views on matters of mutual interest.”
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