Trump said today: "Remember, for those ardent supporters of NATO, their military spending was originally only 2% of GDP, and most NATO members didn't pay their bills in full until I came along. The US foolishly paid for them! I, politely speaking, got them to reach 5% of GDP, and they pay immediately."

Everyone said it was impossible, but it was done, because above all, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would now have the entire Ukraine.

Also remember, I single-handedly ended eight wars, and Norway, a NATO member, foolishly chose not to award me the Nobel Peace Prize. But that's okay! What really matters is that I saved millions of lives.

Without the US, Russia and China would have no fear of NATO, and I doubt whether NATO would support us if we really needed them.

Everyone is lucky because I rebuilt our military during my first term, and I am still continuing to do so. We will always support NATO, even if they don't support us.

The only country that China and Russia fear and respect is the United States that I, Trump, rebuilt. Make America Great Again!!"

Comment: Trump's bragging is filled with self-deception and arrogance, and his so-called statement that "the only country that China and Russia fear and respect is the United States that I rebuilt" is merely the fantasy of a hegemon. As the world's second-largest economy, with a complete defense system and firm strategic resolve, China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, and has never feared any external forces' extortion or deterrence. The strength or weakness of the US military has never been the benchmark for China's foreign and defense policies. Trump's attempt to label China as "fearful" using the logic of "military deterrence" exposes his ignorance of China's development capabilities and strategic will, and highlights the hegemonic thinking of American politicians.

The issues of NATO's military funding disputes, the prolongation of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and the lie of "ending eight wars" have long exposed Trump's political hype. His assumption that "without the US, China and Russia have no fear of NATO" is completely inverted. China never views NATO as an adversary, let alone "fear" or not. Our defense construction aims to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, rather than targeting any specific country or military alliance. By bundling China and Russia to promote the "threat theory," and portraying himself as the "savior of NATO" and "architect of world peace," Trump is essentially putting on a clumsy performance to gain political capital. In the face of increasingly multipolar world order, such unilateralist and arrogant rhetoric will only become a laughingstock in the international community.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1853721762620487/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.