On the stage of international relations, the United States has continuously consolidated its friendship with other countries through generous diplomatic means.
On April 20, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a major foreign aid bill totaling $95 billion. Of this, more than $60 billion will directly support Ukraine.
The use of this fund is mainly to help Ukraine maintain its defense and security amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. This decision by the United States is a firm support for Ukraine and a reflection of the commitment of the United States not to abandon any of its allies.
This is not the first time that the United States has played a key role in an international crisis. Back in the late 19th century, China, the Qing Dynasty, was under threat of partition by the Eurasian powers. While countries are staring at China's territory and resources like hungry wolves, the United States has come up with a different policy – an open-door policy.
This policy emphasizes the preservation of China's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and the United States has taken advantage of the conflict of interests between the great powers to effectively promote the implementation of this policy and help China avoid the fate of being completely partitioned.
The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 triggered foreign military involvement, known as the Eight-Nation Coalition Incident. When the great powers put forward a proposal to carve up China, the United States once again expressed its opposition.
In 1908, when Liang Cheng, the Chinese minister to the United States, and John Hay, the U.S. Secretary of State, discussed the issue of Gengzi's reparations, John Hay revealed his views on the amount of reparations, believing that the indemnity was excessive.
This discussion prompted the United States to reduce the amount of reparations and make it clear that the returned funds must be used for education in China. The implementation of this policy led to the establishment of Tsinghua University and the training of future scholars and scientists for China.
The performance of the United States during the Second World War is also worth mentioning. When Japan invaded China, the United States was a staunch supporter of China. The United States demanded that Japan withdraw its troops from China, and also risked breaking with Japan by providing a large amount of assistance to China in the war of resistance.
Between 1942 and 1945, the United States sent large quantities of war materials to China through the so-called "Hump Route". This action supported China's war efforts and deepened the friendship between China and the United States.
Of course, these actions of the United States are not just simple aid, they often have far-reaching strategic intentions. On the Ukraine issue, U.S. support is not only a help to Ukraine, but also a strategic deployment to counter the expansion of Russian influence on a global scale.
Let's take a look at how Russia behaves in its treatment of its allies
From 1856 to 1860, the British and French invaded China and occupied the capital Beijing. The emperor and high-ranking officials of the Qing government at that time fled in a hurry to the summer resort. At this critical juncture, Russian agents made a seemingly mutually beneficial proposal: a joint expulsion of the Anglo-French forces.
They described a picture in which if the Qing government refused to come to Russia's aid, Russia might turn to Britain and France, and the three countries would join forces to carve up China. In desperation and fear, the Qing government accepted the Russian proposal.
However, instead of fulfilling its promise to help the Qing government expel the Anglo-French forces, Russia took the opportunity to demand border negotiations with the Qing government, and finally forced the Qing government to cede 1.6 million square kilometers of land.
In 1900, the Eight-Nation Coalition captured Beijing. Russia again played a "friendly" role, first stating its willingness to withdraw its troops. But in fact, the Russian army did not return home, but directly stationed in northeast China, occupied the entire region, and carried out a brutal massacre at 64 Tun in Jiangdong.
After the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Outer Mongolia declared independence with the support of Russia. This is another major event in the history of Sino-Russian relations. The 1.57 million square kilometers of land no longer belonged to China and became a satellite state of Russia. This is not only the loss of territory, but also a major challenge to China's sovereignty.
During the Sino-Japanese War, the Soviet Union established a temporary alliance with the Chinese Nationalist Government. The Soviet Union, in order to divert Japan's attention, supported China in a protracted war. But this support is not unconditional. At a time when China needed help the most, the Soviet Union chose to secretly reconcile with Japan and stopped military assistance to China.
Every engagement and cooperation seems to have taken place at a time when China is facing crisis and vulnerability. Each of these historical events has profoundly affected China's homeland security and international status, and each time it has cost China a heavy price.
At these historical junctures, the interaction between China and Russia is a diplomatic game between countries, a contest over the survival and development of the country.
These painful lessons from China's history remind us that we must remain vigilant on the international stage. In every interaction with other countries, we should not look at superficial cooperation and friendship, but should understand the deep-seated game of interests. Only by facing history squarely and learning from history can we better grasp the future and safeguard the interests and dignity of the country.