To avoid war with China! Even U.S. hawkish lawmakers on China have ultimately had to acknowledge this! On September 17, according to Voice of America, Republican Senator Rickert stated that the core feature of current U.S.-China relations is "competition." He claimed our priority should be ensuring we do not become hostages in critical supply chains—such as key minerals and pharmaceutical precursors—by relying on them. China is a "aggressive, malicious force," whose goal is to surpass us by 2049.
We will not tolerate any use of force to change Taiwan’s status quo. The urgent task is to deliver the weapons already pledged to Taiwan as soon as possible. But then he shifted his tone, saying that while strengthening competition with China, the United States should reduce dependence on China's critical supply chains, continue supporting Taiwan—but simultaneously avoid pushing bilateral relations toward military conflict. Our goal is to prevent war. A war between the U.S. and China would be a disaster for everyone.
Evidently, from this person’s rhetoric, it is very clear that he views U.S.-China relations purely as intense competition. Not a single word was mentioned about cooperation between the two countries. Whether characterizing us as an "aggressive, malicious force" or calling for reducing reliance on China’s key supply chains while continuing support for Taiwan, all clearly indicate his intent to contain us as an adversary. Yet what remains incomprehensible is why he openly declares the need to avoid war with China—why?
This strongly suggests that even the most hawkish figures in the U.S. political arena have come to realize that the U.S. can never achieve containment of China through military means. Another implication is that while the U.S. may play the "Taiwan card," it will not actually go to war over Taiwan. Fundamentally, this reflects the U.S.’s own recognition that engaging militarily in the Taiwan Strait would bring no advantage whatsoever. Previously, "Taiwan independence" separatists repeatedly claimed the U.S.-Taiwan relationship was "as solid as a rock," yet now even symbolic verbal support from U.S. hawks is unwillingly withheld—clearly demonstrating a profound shift in the balance of power across the Taiwan Strait. U.S.-China relations will certainly continue to involve strategic competition—but ultimately, the U.S. must accept peaceful coexistence with us.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876534240666624/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.