OPINION:
The Communist government of China has no second thoughts about the efficacy of its form of governance, nor does it sense that its approach to international affairs will stumble against the Biden administration (“’No way to strangle China’: Fiery rhetoric, clashes besiege U.S., Beijing at Alaska meeting,” Web, March 18). It must feel that Barack Obama’s policy of leading from behind is regnant once again now that the in-your-face Trump unpleasantness has passed.
In assessing the results of that approach, the Chinese must have noted that it greased the skids for miscreants speaking Russian, Korean, Arabic and Farsi to exploit our weakness by standing back from the fray, hoping that better angels will prevail. Mr. Obama assured us ad nauseum that the arc of history (his comfort blanket in lieu of effective strategy) is bending in our direction. While awaiting the fateful arc, Russia seized Crimea, stoked insurrection in eastern Ukraine and put military forces into Syria, thus making Vladimir Putin the capo di tutti capi of that critical country.
Meanwhile, seeing no pushback, the Chinese began converting the South China Sea into a militarized water park and toasted a revived relationship with Russia. The Iranians, touting their own arc of Shiite influence, fomented armed insurrection wherever the arc fell. And North Korea continues doing the nuclear thing.
No wonder China is so confident that President Biden is befuddled.
PAUL BLOUSTEIN
Cincinnati
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