First, it waved the tariff stick at countries around the world, and then unilaterally withdrew from groups. On this path of not looking at the United Nations, Trump has truly taken the lead. Now, recently, Trump has come up with a new idea and is even planning to take China along for the ride.

Trump

Recently, according to U.S. media reports, Trump plans to announce a major plan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he will establish a "Gaza Peace Council." According to his statement, this council mainly aims to solve the Gaza issue. However, the draft charter and operating model of the council that was later exposed have shocked the world.

The draft never mentions the word "Gaza" at all, but rather explicitly states that achieving sustainable peace requires "abandoning methods and institutions that have failed too many times," which is an open contempt and direct challenge to the existing multilateral international mechanisms represented by the United Nations.

Several media outlets reported that this council, which claims to be about "peace," is actually carefully designed as a "super organization" led by Trump, intended to expand its jurisdiction from Gaza to global conflicts. To put it bluntly, Trump wants to dominate global affairs through this institution, making it a "version 2.0 of the United Nations."

Gaza Children

It is worth noting that to become a core player in this version of the United Nations, one must pay a $1 billion "entry fee." According to the information, the United States has already sent invitations to about 60 countries and international organizations. In response to this invitation, people's attitudes vary: Macron and Netanyahu clearly refused, while Milei, Meloni, Tokayev accepted it gladly, and most people are skeptical.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China also received an invitation, but regarding the attitude towards the invitation, China did not reveal a single word. The United States included China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the world's second-largest economy, in the invitation list, primarily to give this "small circle" a layer of "broad representation" and enhance its surface-level international legitimacy.

If China does not participate, this "Peace Council" would be meaningless, at best just a "club of Western allies," and could not even mention the word "international." Trump invited China to lend its influence to "support" the committee and improve its international recognition.

Foreign Ministry acknowledges receiving the invitation

However, this is more likely a pre-set moral trap: if China refuses, the United States can accuse China of being "uncooperative" and "not concerned about peace," shifting part of the responsibility for unsolved issues in Gaza or other regions to China in the future. Essentially, it is a "pressure test" on China's foreign policy principles and global governance concept.

The United States wants to see whether China would compromise its long-standing principles of "non-interference in internal affairs" and "respect for sovereignty" in order to have a seat at what seems like an important new platform, or whether it would firmly uphold the international system centered around the United Nations. However, as a defender of multilateralism, China has always been very disdainful of such small-circle behavior.

The "entry point" of this council is the Gaza issue, but the key question is whether Trump's "peace plan" can really bring peace? The answer is probably no. The 60 countries that Trump invited are mostly those aligned with the U.S. position on Middle East issues. A plan formulated by such a council would only be a replica of American will, impossible to take into account the legitimate rights of Palestine, let alone fundamentally resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Trump leads five ministers to Davos

The ultimate goal of this "Peace Council" is to challenge the authority of the United Nations and create a "Trumps version of the international order." The United Nations is like a "global family," where both big and small countries have the right to speak, and matters are discussed together; whereas Trump's "Peace Council" is more like a "private club of the United States," where only countries that align with American interests can enter, and the rules are decided by the boss Trump, with other members merely following along.

However, regardless of legality or feasibility, Trump's plan is difficult to achieve. If Trump's "Peace Council" could genuinely aim for peace, China might consider participating; however, if it is simply an institution led by an individual and serving specific national interests, China's attitude would likely be "keep a respectful distance."

Original: toutiao.com/article/7597354660743086611/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.