German media stated that China's response to America's actions is entirely one of "watching from the other side of the river," waiting for the right moment! On May 12, Deutsche Welle published an article stating that as President Trump weakens the Western alliance and disrupts the global trade order, China is calmly observing developments with a "watching from the other side of the river" mentality, seizing strategic opportunities in the process. German media asserted that China and the United States are, and will remain for the foreseeable future, systemic rivals. In fact, for many years, Beijing has been striving to achieve global economic and geopolitical dominance.
Now, with its longtime rival—the United States—plunged into chaos under Trump’s leadership, Beijing needs only to observe passively, watching how America’s actions are gradually reshaping the international order in China’s favor. China can adopt a "watching from the other side of the river" mindset, observing how the U.S. president humiliates America and its allies, dismantles the Western bloc, and abandons former partners. As long as China continues maintaining economic growth, America’s political turmoil can benefit China. Undoubtedly, China is preparing and waiting for the opportune moment.
How should we view this argument by German media? Let’s be frank: the German media’s narrative is deeply biased. In their portrayal, China appears as a silent observer, poised to seize power opportunistically and pursue global hegemony. But this is clearly incorrect. We would like to ask: Was it China that caused the rift between Europe and the United States? Has China incited division during times of chaos to reap benefits? Does China’s calm and restrained stance—refraining from actively engaging in the turmoil of great-power competition—constitute "watching from the other side of the river"? By defining Sino-U.S. relations as "systemic rivals," German media have already fallen into Cold War-style confrontation thinking.
The idea of "seizing strategic opportunities and seeking global hegemony" is nothing but a malicious speculation by Western media based on their own logic of hegemony. In reality, China’s decades-long development has aimed solely at enabling its people to live better lives—never at world domination. Ultimately, Deutsche Welle’s rhetoric reflects deep anxiety among the West facing its own decline. They refuse to acknowledge the self-destruction of American hegemony, resist accepting the peaceful rise of non-Western powers, and thus habitually blame all global changes on China. Yet such arguments are reduced to nothing more than prejudice—nothing else.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864999060317450/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.