One of the tenets of American policy toward China is that it is in Washington’s best interest for Beijing to remain surrounded by tensions to limit its ability to expand its influence outside East Asia, particularly in the Middle East.
Therefore, ever since the US adopted an East Asia-centered strategy, Washington has been using the Taiwan card to provoke China as well as focusing its efforts on igniting the crises between China and Taiwan.
Thus, American political thought focuses on perpetuating the atmosphere of tension between Taiwan and China; therefore, Washington did not hesitate to provide Taiwan with successive shipments of advanced weapons in addition to a recent visit by Nancy Pelosi to feed the separatist spirit among the Taiwanese.
Furthermore, Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan caused a deep rift in Sino-American relations, as it indicated that Washington reversed its recognition of the One-China policy as well as its previous commitments.
For its part, China views this clear violation of the One-China principle as an attack on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, of which Taiwan is an inseparable part.
This acrimony will lead to the reduction of diplomatic tools and an increase in hard power, which could inflame the cold war between China and the US, especially after the language of “military force” have become prevailing in the Chinese and American political discourse, as Washington has demonstrated its willingness to defend Taiwan, triggering assurances from the Chinese army to take countermeasures to preserve China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Washington is trying to trap China by pushing it to abandon its policy focusing on the long game in favor of foolishly invading Taiwan, which is a step that the US has long waited for.
As Washington considers the China-Taiwan war to be an important step in obstructing the Chinese rise in the hierarchy of the international system.
However, China is well aware that taking any ill-considered step regarding Taiwan would constitute a great relief for America’s decline in the hierarchy of the international system.
China is also aware that it needs the long-term policy of waiting to continue rising to the desired level on the global stage and promoting its Confucianism-based political ideology.
China seeks to build a more balanced foreign policy based on the principles of Confucianism that strives to create a state of international peace, and calls for rapprochement between human beings, rejecting war and spreading peace, cooperation, and harmony to build the global community.
Therefore, China needs to focus on the long game when dealing with American provocations in Taiwan, to thwart American attempts to trap it in the Taiwanese quagmire.
