New Alliance. Watch closely; the concept of “linkage” is back. In the 1970s, Nixon (foolishly) offered the Soviets a deal: Scroll back on third-world conflicts, and we will give you economic concessions, a deal with the devil. China learned…from Nixon. They now link Taiwan to Israel, so buckle up.
Last week, after Hamas attacked Israel, the US and Israel implored China to condemn the attack. China refused, no respect for Biden, all about self-interest.
China’s press said: If you interfere with our Taiwan Strait, we will interfere with your Israel.” Eerily, China met three Arab leaders before the attack.
Look what is really happening. On one hand, China says they want a “two-state solution,” “ceasefire” – between terrorists and Israel – and reports Hamas “trusts” Communist China.
On the other, they equate the US defense of Israel, which they count as a proxy state, to their relationship with Taiwan, over which they claim authority.
Worse, they take the view that Hamas – and, by extension, Iran – is in valid conflict with Israel, thus worthy of their support for Hamas, a terror group.
Extending the argument, they say: “This time, China is ready to counterattack the United States, establish close cooperation with Syria, and attack Israel, which is the American pawn.”
Why is any of this significant? Beyond the complicity of China in – or China’s approval of – the terror attack on Israel, an American ally?
Simple: China is doing two things, both mocking Biden. First, they link our relationship with Israel to their rights over Taiwan, boldly warning America.
Second, they implicitly support the swift, Iranian-devised surprise attack on Israel, the model for a swift, Chinese-orchestrated surprise attack on Taiwan.
Compounding this “in your face” support for an Iranian-backed attack, China is letting the Biden team know they have no respect for them, or even for their ability to keep international waterways open, so “back off.”
China is sucker punching the Biden team, daring them to take any action – maybe a carrier battlegroup in transit through the Taiwan straits. They know that is not likely since we have a second carrier group in the Med.
Let us be clear: China thinks Biden and his advisors are weak, silly, fools, perennially confused, a day late, and yuan short. They are planning action. Count on it. They think Biden will blather and protest, to no effect.
Worse, they are daring Biden to push back, mocking his useless response to events that were horribly foreseeable but missed his bad decision-making.
Linkage is back. While a bad idea in the 1970s, it is worse today. Biden needs to make clear he will not be pushed around by China, even if he and his son pulled millions from their corrupt government. Do not count on it.
Biden needs to do what he has no stomach – or brain – to do: Make clear America will defend Israel and Taiwan since freedom and allies matter.
If all this seems obvious or rhetorical sword-crossing, think again. China is on a beeline for Taiwan, and Hamas just showed how it is done.
Bottom line: We need to get smart or face a three-front war, a new alliance.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
RBC,
Good for you for highlighting the stupidity of President Nixon in terms of both the Soviet Union and subsequently China. Nixon was so desperate to be as beloved as he perceived Eisenhower to be, that Nixon bent over backwards and made a series of strategic foreign policy errors that we all are still living with the fallout from today. Yes, China has played the United States and the West, as a whole, for fools for decades and I fear many western leaders are only now beginning to realize that as China openly states its global ambitions. Some still haven’t felt the splash of cold water and reality on their faces.
Communist China has never adhered to either the letter or the spirit of any so-called agreements it has made with the United States or the West as a whole. They pretend to agree to something and then turn around and continue to do as they see fit, while the West generally has enacted no consequences except for Trump. Unfortunately, most of those corrective measures have subsequently been reversed by Biden, which no doubt pleases President Xi. Today, China is all over the Middle East and much of South America as well. In the case of Hamas, China has been aiding Iran for years in terms of missile and nuclear weapons development technology and Iran in turn funds and trains both Hamas and Hezbollah to act as their proxies in terms of terrorism and military aggression.
As for your recommendations on what Biden should do, even before his dementia he wasn’t up to the tasks you’ve laid out. Joe Biden, at best, would have been classified as your typical grinning politician with now real sense of how to address any of the major world issues on the game board. Now of course, Biden doesn’t actually run the country. He hasn’t since Day One. He merely functions as the front man for those in the White House actually pulling the strings and making policy. China knows all this and so does Russia, Iran and North Korea. Which is why we see so many things going wrong around the world right now.
The whole world, except for the dim-witted idiots here at home who continue to think Biden is running the show and maybe he’s just a little bit naive or misguided, realize what is going on. So, it is only a matter of time until President Xi decides to take Taiwan and thus a major part of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing capability, while Old Joe and his merry band of Obama holdovers sit by and watch it all happen. Then China will have the stranglehold on the West that President Xi desires and the world will see the other face the MSM has intentionally NOT shown the West of Communist China and how it does things.
Very good article by the way.
Well Done with writing this article Robert. In the spirit of helping to make it clear that America will defend Israel and Taiwan because freedom and allies matter — I thought that it would communicate the right ideas to all concerned that the following American’s Creed is remembered . Written in 1917 by William Tyler Page , clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives . Sure enough much water has flowed under the bridge since 1917 , but I do believe it presents a message that is important to the soul and spirit now as then. The American’s Creed — I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people ,by the people, for the people ; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed ; a democracy in a republic ; a sovereign nation of many sovereign States ; a perfect union , one and inseparable ; established upon those principles of freedom , equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes ; I therefore believe it is my duty to love it ; to support it’s constitution ; to obey it’s laws ; to respect it’s flag ; and to defend it against all enemies. Praise for writing this article Robert it should help to build a strong sense of purpose for everything being considered at this time with Israel and Taiwan — Let Liberty be the watchword.
China wants our attention on everywhere except the South China Sea and Taiwan. Anyone who thought giving China more economic access to trade should be kicked out of politics. They talk about Israel being lulled into complacency?
Well I don’t see us getting smart anytime soon, so hold on America. We’re on the brink of WW3 and we have a blind, dumb and deaf leader at the helm. Thanks for nothing for all those who voted Democrat…those dead and alive!
God help us all.
Geez, what a surprise! . . . Programmed to HATE AMERICA! . . . RISE UP PEOPLE! . . . DEFEND AMERICA or LOSE IT!
This news is SCARY !!! Trump we need you MAGA!
i suspect your last sentence, (“We need to get smart or face a three front war”), is unfortunately the most likely outcome. Excellent article as usual, sir.
TOO LATE. The damage done by the Obama and Biden administrations is irreversible. We have left the cliff and are in free-fall.
Biden doesn’t have to do a thing since he is only dressing the window but those at the helm must be in sync with the rest of the rogues For anything to change there would have to be a massive blood transfusion All the poison would have to be drained first
All with compliments of Dictator Beijing biden and the $6 Billion he gave them on top of the plane loads of cash from obama.
As I said, Dictator Beijing biden IS a Communist Chinese Agent who just gave them Hamas as an ally on top of the Taliban with the $86 Billion in U.S. Military WEAPONS and other Terrorist enjoy having.
And let’s definitely NOT FORGET the 13 U.S. Marines KILLED in Afghanistan when he SURRENDERED to Terrorist Taliban and currently over 20 AMERICANS KILLED from his SUPPORT of Terrorist ATTACKS on Israel with almost a THOUSAND Israeli’s KILLED so far and Hundreds upon Hundreds wounded.
The COWARD Dictator Beijing biden wouldn’t even accept the invitation to go to Israel to see the carnage he caused.
Dictator Beijing biden’s hands are soaked with AMERICANS and ISRAELI’S BLOOD.
WHY isn’t he PROSECUTED for MURDER and being a Sponsor of TERRORIST?
With this present administration in the white house and China and Russia’s nuclear hypersonic missile advantages, they’re using that as a advantage to their provocative aggressiveness towards the United States.
Hamas is Iranian mullahs. The alliance is CCP and Iranian mullahs. Satan’s favorite regimes besides North Korea.
Goodness, the writer must be looking for a job squealing victim 24/7 at the ADL.
China wants a two state solution? A two state solution has been mandated by international law for years with the US and its middle east proxy, Israel always putting up barriers to keep the two state solution from occurring. There are MANY countries that are calling for the implementation of a two state solution. The UN is screaming into the wind for such a solution. All in efforts to finally truly attempt to stop the violence. Will it work? It sure won’t if never implemented.
No, China and many other countries didn’t come out and take sides. China along with other rational and sane countries called instead for a ceasefire and for what is now for the collective west a “thing of the past”, called diplomacy. Negotiate perhaps for THE individuals that committed atrocities both HAMAS and perhaps also the Israelis that prior to the terrorst act by HAMAS, killed 187 civilian members of the Palestinians since the first of the year!! Heck israeli leaders call the frequent killing of Palestinians……….a “mowing the yard” act, equating Palestinians with a lawn overgrown.
Lots of blame, time to find a solution and more killing has proven NOT to work. The region and the world has been down this same road for decades. Time to finally FORCE implement the two stage solution.