China is out of the fight

There is no need to pretend that the Chinese do not care about US power - be it "hard" or "soft" - that could make it difficult for China to move forward. Today it is difficult to find a political or diplomatic problem facing China that does not appear to the Chinese to have an American origin.

So why is China reacting so calmly?

First, China's response is based on a sober analysis of American power in the region and in the world as a whole, especially an analysis of the balance of power between the United States and China. It would be foolhardy for China to lead any anti-American coalition, even informally, or to challenge US dominance alone.

Secondly, despite the conflict of interests and ideas between the US and China, both countries have many common interests, and this fact is certainly recognized in China. These common interests are so significant that influential political analysts in China have pointed out that it would not be in China's interests if the United States were defeated in the Middle East or abdicated any commitment to maintaining global order. Beijing has stopped mentioning the term “global hegemony,” and criticism of US actions has decreased, except in cases where these actions threaten Chinese interests.

According to the Chinese leadership, tough rhetoric in foreign policy, not backed by the ability to achieve tangible results, may be useful in the short term, but will not add authority or enhance trust in the long term. Thirdly, the current international situation looks quite favorable for China. There are no international crises on the horizon that would affect China's core interests unless Beijing and Washington find a way to preserve Taiwan's status quo and rein in Pyongyang's nuclear program. Both tasks are not easy, but both are quite doable. However, at the strategic level, the two countries still lack mutual trust.