In a recent phone call, China's chief executive, Wang Yi, mentioned the word "respect" three times, emphasizing the importance of the United States respecting China's sovereignty and core interests, especially in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. These issues are closely related to the situation in China's periphery.
The United States and its allies continue to hype up these issues, fuel the most powerful forces on the island, and push for continued tensions in China-Philippines relations. China's top leadership once again emphasized these core issues, sending a strong signal to the United States.
In response, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of a multinational force to "defend the Red Sea." Bloomberg's report suggests that the U.S. and its allies are also considering action against the Houthis, suggesting that the U.S. military has plans to use force.
Earlier, U.S. spokesman Miller said that he hoped that China could play a constructive role in the Red Sea, and it seemed that the United States seemed willing to invite China to participate. So why is the United States so concerned about the position of the PLA?
Some analysts believe that, first of all, China has an overseas support base in Djibouti near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and although there are also many major forces stationed here, China's influence in the Middle East is growing.
In addition to friendly relations with major countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, the strength of the PLA has also been significantly improved.
The Houthi obstruction of the Gulf of Aden adjacent to Yemen has caused a sudden change in the situation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, causing problems for many shipping companies, and China has successfully completed the escort mission, demonstrating its strength.
Second, in recent years, the strategic focus of the United States has obviously shifted to the Asia-Pacific region, NATO plans to set up a liaison office in Japan, and the NATO secretary general has directly called China a "systemic challenge" and clearly intends to interfere in Asia-Pacific affairs.