This is a turbulent and challenging time. 2024 will be a bad year for the United States, which has always regarded itself as a global leader. Looking at the situation in the world, the United States has suffered setbacks everywhere and its prestige has fallen to the bottom.
In this turbulent situation, the only thing that can be seen is China's confident and calm posture, and the anxious and irritable reaction of the United States, which is opposed to it.
Europe has always been seen as an important pillar of the United States, but now its allies are turning their backs, and France is openly contradicting the United States. In the Middle East situation, the United States has lost its authority, and the once-ambitious Middle East peace process has become a null and void.
What is even more remarkable is that the 22 countries of the Arab League and China issued a joint statement in support of the establishment of a Palestinian state. This is undoubtedly strong proof of the isolation of the United States.
From the People's Political Consultative Conference network
Immediately afterwards, the Houthis attacked the US aircraft carrier, shattering the myth of the US military's "invincible golden body".
Source: Chao News client
In the Asia-Pacific region, China has the last laugh. After examining the situation, China's defense minister came to the insight that "catching a turtle in an urn is not enough to worry about it", which shows his disdain for the United States. At this time, the United States was facing tremendous pressure from domestic and foreign difficulties, and was still in a sad state of arrogance.
All of this began in April, when U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asked the Chinese counterpart for a meeting. On the surface, the purpose is to discuss hot issues such as the Taiwan Strait, Ukraine, and North Korea. But more importantly, the United States is eager to find out China's attitude in these affairs, so as not to encounter China's countermeasures in multi-front operations in Europe and the Middle East.
Sure enough, the two sides did not give in to each other during the talks. Austin blasted China's actions on the above issues and accused China of violating international law. However, China's defense minister only pointed out that the United States is meddling in world affairs and creating division and confrontation at every turn. The two sides are facing each other, and the undercurrent is surging.
After the meeting, Austin took a hard line and publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the talks. He even unreasonably threatened China that if it continues to "support" Russia's defense sector, the United States and its allies will have to take "further measures." The implication is that the United States does not rule out the possibility of using force.
Source: Sputnik news agency
These aggressive remarks have revealed the hegemonic mentality inherent in the United States. What is ironic is that Austin openly brandished the stick of war against China during his speech at the Shangri-La Conference in Singapore. This kind of arrogance is tantamount to provoking the host country and pouring dirty water on other countries in the region.
Subsequently, Austin even trumpeted the so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy", in a vain attempt to reorganize a NATO-like military bloc in the Asia-Pacific region, with the intention of containing China. This kind of front-line thinking, which has long been outdated, is bound to exacerbate regional tensions.
In the face of unreasonable accusations from the United States, China is not to be outdone. Jing Jianfeng, deputy chief of staff of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff, immediately launched a forceful counterattack. He exposed the essence of the so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy" of the United States, which is nothing more than a repeated Cold War mentality in an attempt to create a "big bloc" that obeys the orders of the United States.
Source: Beijing Daily client
"The U.S. promotes cronies to crack down on dissidents, and this kind of 'small circle' politics has exacerbated regional tensions." Jing Jianfeng said, "Whether it is the 'Saigon moment' or the 'Kabul moment', America's allies have ultimately become victims, and their mercenary nature has been exposed." "
This comment is undoubtedly a powerful refutation of US hegemonism and unilateralism. Not only that, in response to the unreasonable accusations made by the United States on the South China Sea issue, Chief of Staff Jing unceremoniously hit back.
The implication is that China has never taken the initiative to provoke in the South China Sea, but the United States has made a big fuss in the region, created tensions, and distorted and smeared China's legitimate rights protection actions.
Through this meeting between the Chinese and US defense ministers, we have clearly seen the saber-rattling between the two sides on regional hotspot issues. China adheres to rationality and pragmatism, but the US is obsessed with frontal confrontation. Hopes of easing Sino-US relations have become even slimmer after this meeting.
Source: Red Star News
Faced with such a difficult situation, Austin may have thought that the wielding of force would deter China. But he must have overlooked an important reality: in the current turbulent world, any unilateralism is doomed to failure. If you want to have a voice in international affairs, you need to cooperate with other countries sincerely, not sing high words in isolation.
Austin claimed that "war with China is not inevitable." But such aggressive words and deeds reflect Washington's anxiety and helplessness about China's rise. This psychological shadow is destined to become a stumbling block to the development of Sino-US relations in the future.
At the same time, the United States is in a quagmire with internal and external troubles, and its global leadership is being questioned like never before, making it even more difficult to move forward on the world stage.
Will China and the United States really move toward full-scale confrontation? The situation is changing, and it is unknown. However, judging from the current situation, China is ready to deal with all possibilities. What the United States is facing is the cruel reality of stepping down from the altar of leadership step by step and unloading the "invincible golden body".
Judging from the meeting between the Chinese and US defense ministers, the differences between the two sides have intensified, the contradictions have intensified, and Sino-US relations have fallen into a new trough. Although they are still complaining to each other on the surface, in the secret it is a confrontation situation of saber rattling and tillers. This kind of change is destined to make the relationship between China and the United States even more confusing and turbulent in the future.