【Text by Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】Since President Trump returned to the White House, there has been a clear "strategic withdrawal" trend. For his actions that constantly shift American resources closer to the homeland, two former Secretaries of State from different parties, Hillary and Pompeo, have warned that the weakening of America's global influence may benefit its rivals.
According to Fox News, on November 13, as reported locally, Hillary revealed at a speech at Columbia University in the United States on November 12 that she had heard discussions within the Pentagon about a "sphere of influence" model. This model would concentrate American power in the Western Hemisphere, while allowing Russia to dominate Eastern Europe and China to control most of East Asia.
She then claimed that this model promoted by a group within the Pentagon is a "disaster," which would weaken America's ability to deal with major issues, and what she called "major issues" is China.
Previously, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that the Asia-Pacific region is a high ground for cooperative development, not a chessboard for geopolitical games. Peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the common wishes of the people in the region. It is hoped that relevant countries will work with regional countries to do more things that truly enhance mutual trust and cooperation and promote peace and stability.
Hillary and Pompeo at the same event - Screenshot of video
Fox News reported that Hillary made these remarks at a time when the Pentagon is expanding its so-called "drug enforcement missions" and "maritime security missions" in the Caribbean Sea and the East Pacific, increasing the U.S. military presence in the Southern Command area to the highest level in decades—this shift reflects Trump's renewed emphasis on prioritizing the Western Hemisphere.
Additionally, the U.S. recently announced that it will withdraw the rotating infantry brigade mainly deployed in Romania, with some forces deployed in Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
In response to Hillary's comments, the Pentagon's press secretary Kingsley Wilson was unreserved: "Hillary, the 'liar,' is a globalist puppet who damaged America's credibility on the world stage during her tenure as Secretary of State and as a failed presidential candidate. Anyone who genuinely puts America first should not listen to her nonsense. The Department of Defense is 100% focused on protecting the homeland, containing China, and ushering in a new era of 'peace through strength.'"
It was reported that Hillary served as the U.S. Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, during which she was an early designer of Obama's "rebalance to Asia" strategy. She claimed that any retreat from the "Indo-Pacific" region would lead to instability and send a signal of weakness to America's adversaries.
At the event at Columbia University, Pompeo, who served as the Director of the CIA and Secretary of State during Trump's first term, also spoke up and echoed Hillary's views. He believed that the U.S. should strive to establish a global "American hegemony" rooted in "Western values" and must never hand over leadership to competitors.
"I almost completely agree with what former Secretary Hillary just said," Pompeo said: "I hope that 'American values' will dominate the world for the next 250 years... I hope to influence every sphere of influence."
According to Fox News, although the U.S. Department of Defense has shifted its focus to the Western Hemisphere, Defense Secretary Austin pledged that the U.S. will still "firmly defend" its interests in the "Indo-Pacific" region.
The report also mentioned that there have been some signs of easing in Sino-U.S. relations recently, but at this time, Pompeo still made sharp criticisms against China. At the same time, Hillary accused Republican lawmakers of staying silent when the Trump administration "overstepped" and used Trump's repeated extensions of the TikTok ban deadline as an example. She even said, "Their tongues must have been completely bitten off because they never speak up."
Hillary warned that social media is shaping, and in some cases distorting public opinion, posing a "great threat" to "democracy." To this, Pompeo, who also participated in the same event, also chimed in, stating he shared the same concerns.
Years ago, Pompeo had promised before the 2020 U.S. presidential election to release more of Hillary's emails, and now, these two have reached a consensus on some issues.
Previously, Pompeo has always criticized Hillary for her "failure and incompetence" and "corruption" in the Benghazi incident in Libya, while Hillary once described Pompeo as "very pitiful" in an interview with The New York Times.
Regarding Sino-U.S. relations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson previously pointed out that the world is large, and the international stage is also broad, enough to accommodate the benign interaction and peaceful coexistence of China and the U.S.
China and the U.S. are the largest developing country and the largest developed country, respectively, as well as the top two economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council. They have extensive common interests and bear special important responsibilities in maintaining world peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity. The Chinese side is willing to work with the U.S. side according to the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, respecting each other, mutual benefit, focusing on cooperation, managing differences, ensuring the long-term healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations. This not only conforms to the fundamental interests of the people of China and the U.S., but is also the general expectation of the international community and the world.
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