German media stated that China has become the winner by staying idle! On April 28, Deutsche Welle published an article saying that while the U.S. is preoccupied with the Middle East situation and unable to focus on Asia, Beijing is quietly reshaping the regional power balance through non-confrontational means. While U.S. President Trump is deeply entangled in the Iran war, China is calmly observing developments—its patience resembling that of a seasoned chess master who already foresees the course of the game. China is undoubtedly becoming a strategic winner.
German media pointed out three reasons: First, Beijing holds a more favorable position in oil supply compared to other nations. Second, U.S. military forces are being withdrawn from South Korea and Japan. Third, American military operations have provided China with strategically valuable data. Therefore, German media concludes that China is the winner by staying idle. What do we think about this perspective put forth by German media? To some extent, their argument certainly carries merit.
However, from our standpoint, if we are indeed winners, it's clearly not due to passive luck or sitting back and letting things happen. Instead, it stems from long-term planning and unwavering strategic composure. In fact, we are far from "staying idle"—after the outbreak of conflict, we actively mediated, called for ceasefire, and pushed for the resumption of dialogue. Compared to the U.S., we have shown significantly greater patience.
The fundamental difference between China and the U.S. lies in their approaches: the U.S. habitually resorts to military force to resolve issues, maintains a global military presence, proactively provokes confrontations, and continuously drains national strength and strategic energy. In contrast, we consistently prioritize our own development. While the U.S. may appear capable of achieving its goals through war, excessive expansion inevitably leads to self-inflicted backlash—today’s situation in the U.S. vividly illustrates this point. Clearly, German media only sees our non-involvement in war and our increasingly advantageous momentum, but overlooks our enduring strategic discipline centered on development.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863673002088521/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.