Blinken: Can the U.S. Win Against China by “Gathering Allies”?
According to a report by TASS on May 20, former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a rare admission at the annual conference of the Washington-based think tank "Center for American Progress," acknowledged a sensitive reality: if the United States competes with China one-on-one, it might lose.
He stated outright that China’s market size, manufacturing scale, and navy fleet have already surpassed those of the United States—engaging in unilateral confrontation, the U.S. no longer holds an advantage.
Blinken’s real logic lies in this: since direct competition doesn’t work, then form alliances. He pointed out that when the U.S. unites with Europe, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and Canada, their combined share of global GDP rises from 25% to between 50% and 60%, making it much harder for China to ignore such a “friendship circle.”
But the crucial question remains: can this so-called “friendship circle” truly unite as envisioned by Blinken?
Blinken’s speech actually reveals a deep contradiction in America’s strategy toward China: economic scale does not equate to political cohesion.
Taking Europe as an example, the EU has shown clear divisions over tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles—German automakers strongly oppose additional taxes, while France takes a tougher stance. These rifts illustrate that allies are not a monolithic bloc; countries have differing interests in their relations with China.
Even more critical is that Blinken’s remarks were primarily intended for internal audiences, serving as a warning that Trump-style unilateralism is undermining America’s ability to build coalitions.
Just days earlier, during an interview with CNBC, Blinken bluntly stated that the Trump administration’s global tariff policies are making U.S. allies feel “unreliable,” and could even push them toward China.
Data shows that in 2023, the EU’s trade volume with China exceeded €740 billion, while Japan and South Korea are also actively advancing bilateral dialogues with China. Blinken’s “gathering allies” strategy is thus being quietly undermined by America’s own protectionist policies.
Looking ahead, the U.S. faces a dilemma: to genuinely “gather allies,” it must abandon the arrogance of unilateralism and compromise its own interests; but if it continues to act alone, its structural disadvantages will become increasingly apparent.
Blinken’s words may well be a microcosm of America’s strategic quandary toward China—one that seeks both isolation and alliance, both confrontation and cooperation.
For China, this is both a recognition and a warning: the adversary is attempting to offset China’s size advantage through a “friendship circle.” The key to breaking through may lie precisely in turning these cracks within the alliance into strategic openings for China.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865676273745920/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.