[The content of this article is based on authoritative historical data, and there are citations at the end of the article, please be aware.] 】
Since Gorbachev came to power, Sino-Soviet relations have shown a clear and substantive tendency to ease. Compared with the-for-tat confrontation during the Brezhnev period, the attitude of the Soviet Union towards the mainland was obviously more respectful. In such a situation, the two sides have re-cooperated.
For the Soviet Union, the rigidity of the system was an inescapable problem. However, Gorbachev's two brief top leaders failed to fully implement the reform policy, so by the time Gorbachev came to power, the Soviet Union had to reform again.
It is necessary to transform the military superiority that it once had into an economic "big leba" for the consumption of all the Soviet people. At that time, the mainland was drifting away on the road of reform and opening up, and its thriving situation in foreign trade had long been envious of many former Soviet Union member states.
Under the impetus of Gorbachev, the "906" project, which was led by the Central Military Commission of the mainland at that time, successfully became one of the key cooperation projects between the two sides. The mainland purchased Su-27 fighters from the Soviet Union to strengthen the combat effectiveness of the air force; The USSR took foreign exchange from the mainland.
However, when these Su-27 fighters returned to Mongolia and passed through Mongolian airspace, they were sternly warned by Mongolia: leave the country immediately, otherwise open fire! Why is Mongolia so "arrogant"? It stands to reason that Mongolia was one of the many member states of the Soviet Union.
And relations between the USSR and the mainland eased again. Not to mention, Mongolia was historically an inherent territory of the mainland. Either side actually has a lot to do with Mongolia. Therefore, Mongolia should not be able to stop it. But Mongolia did just that.
Could it be that Mongolia has become a bone boy? The answer is no, but for three reasons. The first is that the order was made before the collapse of the Soviet Union, but by the time of delivery in 1992, the Soviet Union had collapsed, and Russia and Mongolia were virtually equal in diplomatic relations.
Although Russia has inherited most of the legacy of the former Soviet Union, Russia is not the former Soviet Union, and there is no higher status relationship with Mongolia; The second is to pass through the airspace of other countries, which must be reported and approved in advance, but it was not reported at that time;
The third is that Mongolia is already secretly building good relations with the United States and is actively seeking a "third neighbor." With the collapse of the Soviet Union a foregone conclusion, Mongolia established diplomatic relations with the United States in 1987. In 2005, then-US President George W. Bush also visited Mongolia.
The inherent rights of sovereign states
It is well known that the USSR was a commonwealth of states, and the CPSU had supreme power. As one of the member states of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia naturally had to obey the Central Committee of the CPSU. Thus, the Soviet Union had an indisputable right to the airspace of any member state.
In other words, it's to the point where you can use it if you want. Like the airspace of Russia, the USSR did not know how many years of freedom were used. However, the fact that the Soviet Union was able to use it unscrupulously did not mean that Russia, which was also a member of the member states, could be so "powerful."
Of course, this may be a bit of a misnomer. After all, when the Soviet Union did not disintegrate, both Russia and Mongolia had to obey the Central Committee of the CPSU, and even if there were contradictions between the two countries, they would quickly be revealed. Because they are all leaning under a big tree, everything is easy to discuss.
But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation changed. Each Member State is equal and independent of each other, and no one country is above the other. Even if Russia has extremely strong armed forces, it cannot bully the former Soviet Union member countries at will.
After independence, each country actually has sovereign rights granted by the international community. Aggression against any country is unanimously condemned by the international community. After the Soviet media, Russia itself is still busy dealing with the crisis, how can it have the energy to stir up trouble outside?
Therefore, Mongolia has a very strong confidence. In other words, it can't be called confidence. Rather, it is one of the inherent rights of a normal sovereign state. It is worth mentioning that although Mongolia has a deep historical connection with the mainland, it is still two countries after all.
There is no need for Mongolia to be extremely polite to the mainland. Not to mention, there may still be a certain gap between the mainland's military strength and Russia's at that time. Since Mongolia can not give face to Russia, it can naturally not give face to the mainland. This is quite normal.
It can only be said that neither China nor Russia expected Mongolia to adapt to the prevailing rules of a modern country so quickly. didn't even give a little face. You know, the "906 Project" was founded before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although this is a matter between the continent and the USSR and the successor Russia.
But it is also a legitimate trade in goods. It's just that the delivery time of the goods will be later. However, it cannot be said that Mongolia's approach is wrong. This is because Mongolia is exercising the rights of a sovereign state, and there is no suspicion of crossing the border or anything like that.
The passage through Mongolian airspace was not reported
After talking about the situation between Mongolia, Russia and the mainland, it is necessary to talk about the specific operational level. At that time, the Su-27 fighter returned to China by Russian pilots and several personnel sent by the Central Military Commission of the mainland to take off from Jeddah Airport in the Zabaikal Military District.
It is intended to pass through Mongolian airspace and then fly to the air base in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, on the mainland. The geographical location of the Trans-Baikal Military District of Russia is located in the Trans-Baikal Territory, bordering the northeastern regions of the continent and Mongolia. It can be said that the Su-27 returned to the country route was very well chosen.
Basically, you can go straight to your destination without stopping to refuel on the way. However, going in the direction of the northeast region of the mainland is equivalent to a roundabout detour. The shortest flight route from Mongolia to the capital region of the mainland is the shortest route.
In this situation, the Russian driver chose the shortest route through Mongolian airspace. Due to the dispensable status of the former Mongol member states, the Russians did not take Mongolia seriously. Therefore, he will always show a very casual attitude.
On the matter of passing through Mongolia's airspace, the Russian side did not report to Mongolia in advance, but chose to "pass by directly". Although Mongolia's air force is weaker, it is even inferior to the mainland. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was also an independent sovereign state.
With regard to the invasion of the airspace of other countries, it is natural to show the posture of facing a great enemy. Otherwise, anyone can come to Mongolia to flex their muscles, so is Mongolia still a sovereign country? The answer is obvious, so the Mongolian Air Force spoke out even if it was weak.
In particular, it is necessary to express the attitude of resolutely defending Mongolia's territorial and sovereign integrity, and Mongolia's volley must not be arbitrarily infringed upon by other countries. It is worth mentioning that the fighters used by the Mongolian Air Force at that time were MiG-21s. This is an old antique from the 60s of the last century.
In the 60s of the last century, the MiG-21 served as the main air superiority fighter of the Soviet Air Force. After more than 30 years, Mongolia is still in use, which shows that the strength of the Mongolian Air Force is not strong. Therefore, they could only use shouting to warn and drive away at that time.
Not to mention, Mongolia is firmly surrounded by China and Russia, and there is no third neighbor to speak of. If China and Russia are offended together, then what awaits Mongolia may only be destruction. Mongolia quickly hugged the thigh of the United States after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and undoubtedly understood this truth well.
Actively seeking a "third neighbor"
Although Mongolia is geographically awkward, every sovereign country must consider its own national interests. There is no doubt about it, and Mongolia is no exception. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mongolia actively pursued the so-called "third neighbor strategy".
The third neighbor is a diplomatic concept put forward by Mongolia, and because of its location is deeply surrounded by China and Russia, Mongolia hopes to have a strong third neighbor as a counterweight to benefit from it. However, with the development of time and the quiet change of strength.
The third neighbour does not seem to be used solely to refer to a country, but has a prominent tendency to expand its intrinsic meaning. Extend the scope of a country to an international organization or a powerful bloc. As of now, the countries with third neighbors are the United States, Japan, and India;
The international organizations of the third neighboring countries are the European Union, NATO and the OSCE; The strong camp of the third neighbor has the camp of Western countries. It is not difficult to see that Mongolia had the idea of a diplomatic transformation when the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse. Mongolia has turned constraints into advantages.
Transform the situation of encirclement between China and Russia into a certain advantage. In other words, under the active operation of Mongolia, China and Russia should try their best to win over Mongolia and promise small benefits; The other side, which regards China and Russia as adversaries, should also woo Mongolia.
It can be said that Mongolia, like India, is drifting away under the strategy of eating at both ends. It is worth noting that there is a major difference between the Indian two-headed eating and the Mongolian two-headed eating. The difference is that the mainland has a good relationship with Mongolia, but not with India.
Mongolia was proposed as a third neighbor in the early 90s of the last century, and since then it has developed for the better. In the early days, Mongolia paid special attention to its relations with China and Russia, showing a focus on development and a high degree of concern. But it also sets a certain limit on China and Russia.
In this way, it shows a sincere attitude of welcoming a third neighbouring country. Therefore, although the return of the Su-27 to China may seem like a small thing, it has the possibility of evolving into a big event. For the sake of its own national interests, Mongolia can only choose the most normal way to deal with this matter.
On the other hand, the Mongolian Air Force only warned and did not stop it. After the post-event reporting procedures were completed, the Su-27 fighter returned to the mainland smoothly on the same day. It is worth mentioning that there are two main reasons why the mainland chose to buy Su-27 fighters.
The first reason is that the performance of the Su-27 fighter is really good. At the Paris International Air Show in June 1989, two Soviet pilots flew Su-27 fighter jets to perform a complex set of difficult stunts. Among them is the "Pugachev Cobra" maneuver.
Although this was deliberately named later, it also shows from the side that in order to complete difficult actions, it is inseparable from the superb skills of the pilot and the fighter with superior performance; The second reason is that the mainland is trying to develop itself, so it needs to have a good model to practice.
What's more, the Su-27 fighter can also enhance the strength of the continental air force. It's a win-win- In June 1992, the mainland received 12 Su-27s; In less than half a year, the mainland got another 12 planes. This laid the foundation for hundreds of subsequent aircraft.
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Bibliography:
- Shenlin, An Analysis of Mongolia's "Third Neighbor" Diplomacy. Contemporary World. 2013(04)
- Qin Ou China's introduction of Su-27 fighters. Communist Party member. 2010(02)