Two days ago, at the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shocked the world with his words: "If you don't sit at the table of the international system, it's on the menu." This is not talking about the culinary delicacies on the menu, but the last ditch fight of the United States, which is to ask all countries to take sides in the game between China and the United States! My first reaction to this request was, "The United States is really in a hurry!" "Can't you be a little bossy?
The current situation in the United States is not good, and it is worrying from both political and economic aspects. Economically, although it seems to be okay on the surface, it is actually a false prosperity propped up by crazy debt issuance. The arrival of the interest rate hike cycle will make the United States unable to bear debt interest for a long time, and the blood bag of reverse repo bond purchases is about to be exhausted, and the U.S. bond market may fall into chaos. Financial warfare has become the biggest bargaining chip of the United States against China, and if it fails, the United States will face the dilemma of capital flight and exchange rate depreciation.
Politically, the United States is in a deeper predicament. After the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia defeated Ukraine in Avdiivka, causing Ukraine to lose its strategic control point. The Middle East is also not optimistic, with Israeli ground forces suppressed and US military bases frequently attacked. America's allies have hit rock bottom in popularity, and now they stand in a corner, watching their allies fall behind one by one.
At present, the United States is putting its global bargaining chips in East Asia, trying to stabilize the global system by co-opting Japan. But the problem is that Japan is no longer the puppet of the past, and its dependence on the United States has weakened, and even its favorability towards the United States has declined. And on a global scale, Japan has become the last straw for the United States.
In the eyes of the United States, China is the focus of the global landscape. China's support has given Russia and the Middle East the upper hand in the game, making it a problem for the United States. In order to salvage the situation, the United States can only look to East Asia and try to weaken China's power by stirring up the situation.
China sits firmly in the Diaoyutai in East Asia and observes the struggles of the United States with neither humility nor arrogance. The United States wants to hold Japan in East Asia, but it is facing tremendous difficulties. China's presence has succeeded in holding back the resources and energy of the United States, making it impossible for it to easily gain an advantage in East Asia.
In order to save global hegemony, the United States began to make trouble in East Asia. Economically, it creates tensions and undermines confidence in the Chinese economy; Politically, trying to gain bargaining chips by containing China. However, China is not so easy to bully, and the United States may also face unexpected counterattacks in this game.
In the face of provocations from the United States, China has chosen to show its sword with moderation. The bright sword of moderation is not only to safeguard its own interests, but also to give confidence to the anti-hegemonic alliance. After all, countries around the world now want to see China and the United States fight, and China doesn't want this fierce war to affect its own economy.
The United States is untenable in East Asia, and even the strength of the whole country can hardly resist China's strength. As long as the United States is defeated, the whole world will rise up and form a joint counterattack against the United States.
The bright sword is modest, not only to prevent the gun from misfiring, but also based on the consideration of self-interest. After all, this is East Asia, and the first thing to hit is its own economy. The bright sword is to protect its own interests, and it is also to give confidence to the anti-hegemonic alliance.
The last ditch effort of the United States in East Asia is both an effort to save its global hegemony and a struggle in a difficult situation. But in this game, the United States has already stood on the edge of the cliff, and if it does not jump, it must jump. Next, how will the United States choose? Whether it is a fall or a peak turn, we can only wait for the time to be revealed.
The United States' last stand is in East Asia, but in the face of China's steadiness and the combined forces of the anti-hegemonic alliance, the United States may find that this is not an easy move. In this game, China's restrained sword strategy will be the key, not only to protect its own interests, but also to demonstrate China's strategic determination on a global scale. In the end, the choice of the United States will determine the future direction of the global landscape, and East Asia will become the main battlefield of this competition. Hey, America, this fight, do you dare?