In today's world, the power gap between China and the United States is a focus of attention. Some claim that there is a huge disparity between China and the United States, and even claim that China has only two choices: either give in or face the fate of destruction.
Is this statement really in line with the facts?When assessing the balance of power between China and the United States, can we look at it from a more comprehensive and objective perspective?
Recently, Bloomberg, a major American giant, published a thought-provoking article entitled "China Should Listen to Blinken's Words". The article profoundly points out that China has misunderstood the gap between the military power of China and the United States, and faces a dilemma: to suffer a devastating blow in the military confrontation with the United States, or to choose to make concessions.
Against the backdrop of this diplomatic game, there seems to be only one reaction from China: Is this a threat?
The article comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits China. The motivations behind the visit were complex. The United States seems to have difficulty controlling the global situation, and China's cooperation is urgently needed to stabilize the current world situation.
On the stage of international politics, Saudi Arabia's every move is always full of drama. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Saudi Arabia to try to persuade the country to increase oil production in order to suppress the Russian economy, but was flatly refused. More unexpectedly, the Saudis made it clear to Blinken that they are working with China to build more first-class chemical plants, which are expected to attract more Chinese investment to ensure China's "energy security".
In this diplomatic journey, Saudi Arabia's treatment of the United States is even more ridiculous. At the time of Blinken's visit, the U.S. flag was not hoisted at the meeting, in stark contrast to the scene during the previous visit of Maduro in Venezuela. This is undoubtedly a sign of contempt for the United States, and the former alliance seems to have reached a freezing point.
At the same time, China's influence in Southeast Asia is growing. On May 23, China and Vietnam signed an important power deal. This is not only a milestone in the cooperation between the two countries, but also a clear signal of Vietnam's dependence on China in the energy sector. Subsequently, on May 30, Vietnamese Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thanh led a delegation to visit China, and almost finalized China's transportation investment plan for Vietnam. This means that the countries of Indochina will be more closely connected and work together to build a closer network of cooperation.
In this series of geopolitical shifts, Blinken's trip to China is particularly crucial. Faced with the instability in Eastern Europe, the marked anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, and the growing distance between the South American region and the United States, the United States seems to be in an eventful situation. Against this backdrop, the United States naturally hopes that China will become a cooperative partner in stabilizing the world situation.
The Bloomberg article, "China Should Listen to What Blinken Says," came into being against this backdrop, and its implication is undoubtedly an in-depth interpretation of the tense international relations at the time.
In the long history of the world, China has been a key partner of the United States in stabilizing the global situation three times.
The first collaboration took place in the 80s of the last century. At that time, China and the United States joined hands to face the challenge from the Soviet Union. The game not only forced the Soviet Union to disperse its forces on multiple fronts, but also allowed the United States to concentrate on the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. It was an era of strategic cooperation, and the common goals of the two sides were bound together, which marked the end of the Cold War.
In 2001, the United States was hit hard by the 911 terrorist attacks. In this global war on terror, China has sided with the United States and provided the necessary support and cooperation. It was a time of tension and uncertainty, the shadow of terrorism loomed over the world, and China's support provided valuable international legitimacy to U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
In 2008, the world economy fell into a deep financial crisis. China has provided critical support to the U.S. economy through massive purchases of U.S. Treasuries. In that turbulent period, China's actions not only guaranteed the hegemony of the dollar, but also injected a critical impetus into the recovery of the global economic system.
Behind every cooperation, China has its own considerations. The first cooperation was to alleviate the national defense pressure caused by the Sino-Soviet relations, and to protect *** The second was out of a common concern about terrorism, and at the same time hoped to divert the attention of the United States from China;The third economic support is because China has just joined the WTO and urgently needs a stable international economic environment to promote its own development.
These historical moments undoubtedly demonstrate China's strategic wisdom and international influence on the world stage, and each cooperation is not only a response to the present, but also a far-reaching layout for the future.
On the chessboard of the world economy, China's accession to the WTO is an important turning point. At that time, there was a delicate balance between China's economic boom and the hegemony of the dollar. Although this balance seemed to be unfavorable to China, such as the popular saying "700 million shirts for a Boeing plane", in the international landscape at the time, such order was better than disorder. After all, a stable international economic order is essential for China's development.
However, by 2023, China will no longer need to rely on the unipolar world order led by the United States. In this new international landscape, China's continued unconditional assistance to the United States does not seem to have much to gain and may instead encourage U.S. provocations on the Taiwan issue and hinder the upgrading of China's industries.
The U.S. threat to China was echoed at the high-level dialogue in Alaska in March 2021. China has made it clear that the United States is not qualified to talk to China from a point of view of strength. In the military field, although the United States is still strong, its de-industrialization trend and the aging of the navy have weakened its combat capability on a global scale.
Around China's Taiwan Strait, the PLA has a home field advantage. Therefore, in such a geographical and strategic context, it is almost impossible for the United States to defeat the PLA in the Western Pacific.
The relevant article published by Bloomberg is quite ironic in such a historical and realistic context. Not only does its view appear naïve, but it also seems to ignore China's actual progress in international politics and military power. In this volatile world, every country is working for its own interests and status, and China is no exception.
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