The world is never calm.
Here, the situation in the Middle East is on the verge of eruption; Over there, the Asia-Pacific region is also turbulent.
Sandwiched between these two sensitive zones is the United States, which is experiencing strategic anxiety.
The recent Iran missile attack on Israel, like a pebble thrown into the middle of the lake, rippled and touched the sensitive nerves of United States.
Some say that this is a "minefield" in the Middle East; Others say that this is a "litmus test" for testing United States' global strategy.
What is hidden behind this?
Reflections triggered by Iran's missile attack
On October 1, lots of missiles flew over Iran and headed straight for Israel.
This sudden attack suddenly made the situation in the Middle East tense.
Although the anti-missile system jointly built by Israel and United States is powerful, it is still somewhat powerless in the face of large-scale and intensive attacks.
The flames of the explosion and the smoke of gunpowder all show that the current anti-missile system is actually quite fragile.
A closer look at the attack reveals Iran's small calculations.
They don't use sophisticated weapons, most of them are old ballistic missiles, and even some Fatah hypersonic missiles are mixed in.
This is like a well-planned "thorough test" aimed at testing the real interception capability of the US-Israeli anti-missile system.
After all, it's better to test it in battle than to do it behind closed doors.
The results were clear, a lot of missiles evaded interception and hit the target.
Despite the limited damage of conventional warheads, this "wolf pack tactic" is enough to cause headaches for any defense system.
Iran's missile attack is like a mirror that reflects the inadequacy of the United States anti-missile system.
United States has been spending a lot of money on the development of anti-missile systems, hoping to hold up a safe umbrella for itself.
However, actual combat has proved that this "protective umbrella" is not solid.
When a single target is attacked, it is difficult for the anti-missile system to guarantee successful interception every time; If multiple targets come at the same time, the system will be more overwhelmed, and the interception efficiency will be greatly reduced.
The United States media showed obvious anxiety about this.
Business Insider said bluntly that Iran's attack was only a fraction of China's power.
The implication is that if it is replaced by a missile power like China, the United States anti-missile system may be even more vulnerable.
This undoubtedly poked the most sensitive nerve in United States.
United States has long viewed anti-missile systems as the key to maintaining its global military superiority.
Today, the stability of this pillar is in question, and United States' strategic anxiety has intensified.
United States always mentions the "China threat theory", but behind this is their own anxiety. To put it bluntly, United States is worried about its global standing and influence being challenged. When they see China's rapid development, they feel unsteady, and they feel that their leadership is threatened. This anxiety has led United States politicians to constantly play up the so-called "China threat" in order to divert domestic attention and strengthen their position. But in reality, it is more a reflection of their inner turmoil and uncertainty about the future.
While the world's attention is focused on the chaos in the Middle East, the United States media has turned its attention to China.
They linked Iran's missile attacks to China, hyped up the "China threat theory," and claimed that China had a more powerful missile strike capability and posed a greater threat to United States.
When reporting on Iran's missile attack, Business Insider deliberately accompanied a photo of China's intercontinental ballistic missile and said that the scale of Iran's attack was "only a fraction of China's missile strike capability."
This kind of reporting method of "grafting flowers and trees" obviously has ulterior motives.
It seeks to portray China as a threat to global security as a way to deflect domestic tensions and find an excuse to increase military spending.
United States a former head of the Pacific Command suggested that United States should strengthen its air defense and missile defense capabilities within 10 years in order to deal with possible tensions.
Saying this will only make the situation more tense, like adding fuel to the fire.
The reason why the "China threat theory" is so popular is not accidental.
This reflects United States' deep Cold War mentality and fear of hegemony.
United States does not want to see any country challenge its hegemony, and China's rise has naturally become a "thorn in its side."
Faced with a series of problems such as the domestic economic decline and the intensification of social contradictions, the United States government chose to use China as a "scapegoat" in an attempt to divert domestic contradictions by creating external threats and maintain its shaky global hegemony.
The United States has gone to great lengths to hype up the "China threat theory" and has another important purpose: to win military spending.
United States' military spending has always been high, which has made many ordinary people dissatisfied.
By playing up external threats, the United States government can justifiably increase military spending and continue to maintain its vast military machine.
The United States' dilemma in the Middle East
The Middle East, an ancient land that has always been full of contradictions, has always been the focus of international politics.
United States has always wanted to control the region, making it a key point in maintaining its hegemony.
However, in recent years, with the decline of United States' hegemony and changes in the situation in the Middle East, United States' influence in the Middle East is gradually declining.
Nowhere is this more evident than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States, as Israel's big brother, often tries to act as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
However, on the Palestinian issue, United States clearly favors Israel, and its so-called "peace plan" has also been rejected by the Palestinian side.
Recently, Saudi Arabia has openly shouted that Israel must first resolve the Palestinian issue before it can be recognized by Arab countries.
This must have set a setback for United States' Middle East policy.
Middle Eastern countries, which have always followed United States in the past, are now looking for a new way out.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, two "old enemies", shook hands and made peace under the mediation of China, breaking United States' attempt to maintain its influence by provoking regional conflicts.
Qatar and other countries have also begun to strengthen cooperation with China, and United States is no longer subordinate.
China is playing an increasingly important role in the Middle East, and this "power of the East" is gradually emerging.
Unlike United States, China's influence is growing in the Middle East.
China adheres to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, does not engage in hegemonism, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and is committed to promoting regional peace and development, which has won wide acclaim from Middle East countries.
From brokering Saudi-Iranian reconciliation, to promoting Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, to providing humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, China is playing an increasingly important role in the Middle East.
China advocates resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation and opposes interference by external forces, which is in sharp contrast to United States' hegemonic behavior in the Middle East.
China's activities in the Middle East are not aimed at displacing any country, nor are they for personal gain.
China hopes for peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East, which will be beneficial to China and the whole world.
In order to maintain its hegemonic status, the United States has constantly hyped up the "China threat theory", and even did not hesitate to conduct frequent military exercises against China, and enlisted Japan, Australia and other allies to participate in an attempt to carry out military deterrence against China.
In recent years, United States has held several military exercises aimed at the situation in the Taiwan Strait to simulate a military conflict with China.
These exercises often end in a "crushing victory" or "defeat" for the U.S. military, exposing the U.S. military's sense of powerlessness in dealing with the Chinese military.
However, these military exercises are more of a "political show" aimed at pressuring China and reassuring its Asia-Pacific allies.
In fact, United States is mired in a debt crisis, with sharp domestic contradictions and serious social divisions, and is simply unable to wage a large-scale war, let alone confront a military power like China.
The Ukraine crisis is the best example.
United States ostensibly provides support to Ukraine, but in fact it only wants to use Ukraine to consume Russia, but it hides behind its back to reap the benefits.
Once the conflict escalates, United States is likely to abandon Ukraine as it abandoned Afghanistan.
United States is well aware that it is difficult to defeat China on a frontal battlefield, so its real purpose is to try to delay China's development by creating tensions.
The United States has continuously increased its troops in China's neighboring areas, stirred up regional contradictions, and attempted to drag China into the quagmire of war, thereby hindering China's development process.
The United States underestimates China's determination to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and does not have enough understanding of the will of the Chinese people to protect national interests.
Whoever wants to use the threat of force or military means to stop China's development will certainly not work.
Peace and progress remain global themes today.
China has always adhered to peaceful development, and at the same time, it is not afraid of any challenge.
China has strengthened the force for world peace and strengthened the voice of justice.
The United States should clearly recognize the trend of the times, abandon the Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, view China's development objectively and rationally, stop all forms of provocation and containment, and work with China to make due contributions to safeguarding world peace and stability and promoting the common development of mankind.
Resources
The Paper: "Technocracy|Iran Nearly 200 Missiles Hit Israel, What Missiles Were Used?" The result? October 4, 2024
Reference: "Expert: Iran's "upgraded" missile makes it more difficult for the United States and Israel to defend", October 4, 2024
Red Star News: "Iran's 32 missiles tear apart Israel's air defense system, multi-layer missile interception system "breaks defense"" October 5, 2024
Global Times: "China Military Power Report: PLA Conventional Missile Strength Catches Up with United States", September 3, 2020
Global Network: "Playing up the "Chinese missile threat", claiming that there is a lack of reinforced machine forts, US lawmakers are worried that Indo-Pacific bases are "too fragile"! May 13, 2024