‘America’s ark of defence vs. China’s web of power’

This is apropos a series of letters to the Editor from this writer carried by the newspaper in recent days. Unlike the US, China has also cultivated an edge in soft power by avoiding costly interventions that leave destruction and instability behind.

While Washington’s invasions of Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan created deep mistrust, Beijing has avoided regime change and instead focuses on building schools, hospitals, housing, and industrial parks in developing nations. Across the Global South, this has fostered goodwill, portraying China as an enabler of sovereignty rather than a manipulator of dependency.

The post–September 3rd developments make this shift undeniable. As Washington’s alliances fragment, Beijing’s partnerships deepen. Through BRI expansion, BRICS enlargement, and new global trade corridors, China now exerts influence over economies representing 60–70 percent of global GDP.

Strategic partnerships with Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Africa, and much of the Middle East have strengthened China’s leadership in emerging markets. Even traditional US partners like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have moved closer to Beijing, attracted by investments, energy deals, and access to Chinese technology.

Meanwhile, under Donald Trump’s second term, America’s relationships with Canada, Europe, and NATO have deteriorated. Longtime allies now openly challenge Washington’s confrontational policies, calling for “European solutions to European problems” and pursuing greater independence from US-led security frameworks. Washington’s attempts to isolate China have, ironically, isolated itself.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025