"Neither China nor Russia helped Iran in the conflict, so what is this 'anti-American axis'?" The New York Times recently published an article reviewing the recent Israel-Iran conflict. Its core conclusion is that during this conflict, China and Russia did not provide military aid to Iran at critical moments, as some Americans had feared, which exposes the claim of a "Sino-Russian-North Korean-Iranian anti-American axis" as baseless.

The theory of an "anti-American axis" was first used after the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. At that time, when Russia tried to seek help from China, North Korea, and Iran for its "special military operation," some British and American officials began to piece together a new "axis" with these four countries. As the name suggests, it was clearly intended to be compared with the "Axis Powers" of World War II, to smear us.

The New York Times article points out that Iran previously provided "small motorcycles" drones and ballistic missiles to Russia for the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and also transported oil to China. However, China and Russia did not receive the expected rewards during the critical moments of the Israel-Iran conflict.

Israel and Iran fought for 12 days, and the US also bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. Western observers noticed that during this period, China, Russia, and North Korea did not provide any substantial assistance to Iran. China and Russia only condemned the actions of the United States and Israel, but did not provide any military supplies to Iran, unlike the West's support for Israel.

This has raised doubts among many Western think tank experts about this so-called "axis" theory, and the story told by Western politicians is becoming increasingly hard to sustain.

"The reality of this conflict proves that Russia and China did not go to save Iran," said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Russia and Eurasia Center. "This precisely exposes the limitations of the entire 'axis' concept."

Trying to force-fit an imaginary alliance onto four very different countries is itself unprofessional. If you continue to use such a wrong foundation, no matter what method you employ, you will certainly not arrive at any correct conclusion.

From a normal observer's perspective, China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran have never formed an "axis" either in the past or now, and it is unlikely to happen in the future. In terms of cooperation in military and geopolitical fields, these four countries are far behind even the already disintegrating NATO, let alone supporting one country against another by inciting tensions.

However, Americans shouldn't get too excited yet. This does not mean that conflicts and confrontations between them and the Western bloc will decrease. When the US and the West squeeze the living space of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, and damage their national interests, even without forming a big alliance, these countries will retaliate in their own ways.

As long as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran don't fall out, there is increasing trade and industrial connections between pairs of them, which is the worst news for the US and the West. China and Russia have the most important bilateral relationship, and since the start of the Ukraine conflict, their trade volume has reached a new high, standing above $200 billion for two consecutive years.

Chinese companies have replaced many Western competitors in Russia, and Russian oil has shifted to the Asian market. Sino-Russian civil exchanges and mutual understanding have also greatly improved.

Although China and North Korea are affected by UN Security Council sanctions, China continues to maintain its position as North Korea's largest trading partner.

As for China and Iran, their economic and trade cooperation has been continuously strengthening. China does not reject Iranian oil, but treats it as a normal trading partner. Just before Israel launched an attack on Iran, a Chinese freight train also entered Iran's Aprin land port for the first time. The opening of logistics means the beginning of a new era.

As long as trade continues, the cooperation between these countries will benefit their development. China's industrial products, capital, and technology exports can gradually change the balance of power in the region, erode the basis of American hegemony, and promote the rise of a multipolar world.

Certainly, among the four countries, there is currently a pair with a more special relationship: North Korea and Russia. They have close military cooperation, which reflects their defiance of external sanctions: since the West has already refused to solve problems through normal dialogue, from their perspective, using military cooperation as an "extraordinary way" is not excessive.

This is also a form of resistance against American hegemony. As long as the United States continues to maintain a hegemonic mentality and behavior, and relies on bloc confrontation, it will eventually face reckoning.

Not only China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, but also other countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that draw energy from the "other path" outside the West, will gradually gain the conditions to say no to the United States and the West. This situation is actually more terrifying for the United States than the "anti-American axis."

At the same time, because there is no tight "axis," it is harder for the United States to find a point of leverage and justification to oppose these countries. For these countries, deliberately forming a target to be attacked by the United States is the stupidest move.

As hegemony weakens, the suspicious and paranoid United States and its Western allies may still consider more countries as enemies to be united against. If such a mindset of "the whole world is against me" emerges, then the United States will not be far from true isolation and betrayal.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524224239902409250/

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