Trump's plan to strike China by indirect means has failed! The United States has reached a temporary ceasefire agreement with Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz has reopened and resumed navigation—this is Trump’s way of finding a graceful exit.
Iran is one of China’s important oil sources, a key element in China’s geopolitical strategy in the Middle East, and a crucial node in the Belt and Road Initiative. One of the main motivations behind Trump’s push to go to war with Iran was to indirectly target China through “hitting a distant object by striking a nearby one.” From the American perspective, if Iran were weakened—even just by blocking the Strait of Hormuz—China would suffer severe political setbacks in its Middle Eastern strategy, and its economic development would be severely impacted due to the sudden sharp decline or even complete cutoff of oil imports from Iran. This was America’s grand design.
But the Americans miscalculated. They didn’t anticipate Iran’s remarkable resilience, assuming it would collapse like Venezuela—but the reality turned out completely opposite. Whether China is supporting Iran behind the scenes is open to debate, but everyone understands the situation. In any case, Iran was not broken; instead, it fought back effectively. Despite the deaths of dozens of senior officials, the regime remained fundamentally intact and continues to function normally.
On the other hand, China’s crude oil reserves far exceed American expectations. While domestic oil prices in China have risen slightly, creating some pressure, this pales in comparison to the six- to sevenfold increases seen in many other countries. America itself faces far greater internal pressure. This is a classic case of the U.S. digging its own grave.
This conflict has made the international community more aware than ever of the correctness of China’s foreign policy strategy and the diversification and multi-channel approach to energy security.
America’s attempt to undermine China has not only failed but also cost it dearly. To avoid being trapped indefinitely in a war with Iran, Trump had no choice but to find a way out by actively seeking a temporary ceasefire with Iran.
However, the biggest external risk to a permanent ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran comes from the Lebanon front—Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel could both act as spoilers disrupting the agreement.
In short, this conflict clearly demonstrates the foresight of China’s strategic layout. By adhering to diversified energy imports, steadily advancing pragmatic cooperation in the Middle East, and jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, China has layered its strategies to mitigate external containment risks. Its non-confrontational, mutually beneficial diplomatic approach has enabled China to maintain stability in a turbulent Middle East, leaving America’s indirect pressure powerless.
The old U.S. strategy of encircling China through regional conflicts is long obsolete. Unilateral hegemonic thinking that seeks to manipulate other nations ultimately rebounds on the perpetrator. China, relying on long-term, steady strategic confidence, calmly navigates external shocks—once again proving that mutual benefit and win-win cooperation represent the true trend of the international order.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868103028737027/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.