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.
