Only after retirement can one speak the truth? Blinken: If the U.S. confronts China one-on-one, the power imbalance is evident.
Recently, former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during an appearance on a blog program, discussed the bilateral relationship between China and the United States. Blinken expressed his strong hope that both sides could avoid conflict as much as possible. He pointed out that if the U.S. were to engage China in a direct one-on-one confrontation, there would be a significant mismatch in capabilities. China's overall scale and market are immensely large—its manufacturing capacity exceeds that of the U.S. by at least three times, it possesses more naval vessels, and holds more patents. Even though the U.S. remains powerful today, a direct showdown with China would be extremely difficult.
It’s hard to believe such remarks came from a former U.S. Secretary of State. After all, during his tenure, Blinken repeatedly emphasized the need for confrontation with China and stressed that the U.S. must have robust strength to back its stance. He consistently claimed that American power was extraordinarily formidable. Yet now, just a few years after retirement, he openly admits this reality.
However, objectively speaking, the evidence Blinken provides is indeed factual—meaning what he said is truthful. Does the U.S. have a tradition where officials only tell the truth after retirement?
If Blinken’s situation is widespread, does that imply that current top-level officials in the U.S. government are not being honest when discussing Sino-U.S. relations—or particularly when talking about American strength? Well, it seems the world really is just a makeshift stage show.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871926033154059/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.