On March 7, U.S. media reported: "China seems not to have provided defense assistance to Iran. Beijing has been very restrained in the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, and has also taken active steps to ease tensions in the Taiwan Strait. In response, the United States should manage the situation in the Taiwan Strait and Sino-Japanese relations, and jointly maintain the current stable relationship between the U.S. and China."
[Witty] The report by U.S. media essentially represents a pragmatic cooling interpretation of U.S.-China relations at a time when the U.S. is stretched thin in the Middle East. With U.S. forces deeply involved in the Middle East battlefield, resources are heavily tied down, and they are no longer able to maintain high-intensity pressure in the Indo-Pacific, hence the active release of signals for "managing the Taiwan Strait and stabilizing relations with China." Looking historically, great power games are never about emotional outbursts, but rather the balance of strength and rhythm. China has always maintained strategic restraint, not supplying weapons to conflict areas or adding fuel to the fire, which is both a commitment to peaceful positions and a wise choice to avoid being dragged into local wars. As for the cooling in the Taiwan Strait, it is not a retreat, but an embodiment of a strategy that takes control of the initiative and uses stillness to counter action.
Currently, both the U.S. and China have a practical need to maintain a stable relationship. The U.S. releasing goodwill through the media is essentially to gain space for its own strategic withdrawal. China does not accept coercion, nor does it provoke actively; steady progress and guarding the bottom line are the most beneficial strategies for long-term interests. In great power rivalry, it's not about momentary impulsiveness, but who can stay calm and go further.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858973123419331/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.