Reference News Network, June 29 report: The Hong Kong South China Morning Post website published an article titled "Can America's Militaristic Adventurism Outdo China's 'Sustained Peace' Strategy?" on June 25. The author is Jiang Wenran, the founding director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta in Canada. The article excerpts are as follows:

Recently, the United States launched an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, and President Trump suddenly announced that Israel and Iran would "completely and thoroughly cease hostilities." This exposed a key point in the changing U.S. strategic posture. Washington seeks global dominance through continuous military interventions, betting that overwhelming force can force the other side to submit. In contrast, China has chosen a different path.

Beijing is pursuing a path of "sustained peace," using economic means and diplomatic activities while avoiding major military entanglements. This difference reflects fundamentally different views between China and the United States on national power and the international order, which has profound implications for the next stage of great power competition.

The U.S. attack on Iran fits its decades-long pattern of military intervention. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has almost continuously carried out military actions, intervening in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

This state of constant warfare has maintained U.S. dominance but also requires significant resources. In 2024, U.S. military spending reached $997 billion, exceeding the combined military spending of the next nine countries.

In sharp contrast, China's strategic toolkit centers on geopolitics. Its primary goal is to ensure a peaceful environment and stable resource flows needed for development, helping hundreds of millions of people escape poverty while building strong technological and industrial capabilities. This strategy externally promotes the implementation of initiatives such as the "Belt and Road" initiative, deploying capital and infrastructure to cultivate influence and ensure supply chain security.

Given this difference, the current geopolitical situation is crucial. Although the U.S. sees China as a "pressing challenge," urgent crises in Ukraine and the Middle East have diverted Washington's focus and consumed its resources. Under the pressure of current conflicts, its grand strategy appears sluggish.

As the U.S. allocates military assets and diplomatic resources to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, its ability to craft a coherent Indo-Pacific response strategy is weakening. Overall, the U.S. intervention measures could lead to imperial overextension.

China's "sustained peace" strategy is based on avoiding conflict while exerting economic influence, winning favor among developing countries weary of Western intervention.

"Sustained peace" and "sustained war" are not just slogans. The conflict between these two ideologies drives an era where prudent restraint clashes fiercely with confrontational strategies. And the former is gaining strategic momentum. (Translated by Ma Dan)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521275629691240995/

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