Confrontation with China, closer than we think. The communist state became a participant in the war in Europe and decided whose side it was on

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While the West is distracted, China has been conducting exercises with Russia and Belarus, including right on the border with NATO.

In recent weeks, all attention has been focused on the actions of the West: NATO and European Political Community summits have provided allies with significant opportunities to strengthen their support for Ukraine. However, while the world’s attention has focused on other issues, China has become increasingly involved in activities designed to undermine the United States and its allies.

In a notable and worrying development, as 32 transatlantic allies gathered in Washington (along with three Indo-Pacific leaders – New Zealand, Japan and South Korea), China launched military exercises with Belarus – a Russia’s close ally – right on its NATO border, Aliona Hlivko, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, a transatlantic foreign policy and national security think tank, told The Telegraph.

China’s joint exercises with Belarus send a clear signal that China has become a participant in the war in Europe and has decided which side it is on. Simultaneously with the exercises in Belarus, the Chinese navy conducted naval exercises in the Taiwan Strait, violating the island’s airspace a record number of times. And earlier this week, Russia joined China in live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea.

Japan has also issued a warning about China’s escalation in the region. According to a recently published Japanese defense white paper, China plans to double its nuclear arsenal to more than 1,000 warheads by 2030. It also names North Korea as a growing risk factor as it seeks to increase its nuclear strike capability and missile range to be able to reach US territory.

“In its closing statement at the NATO summit, the Alliance reproached China for its expansionist behavior and assistance to Russia. But statements must be followed by actions. Restoring peace can only be achieved through the efforts of the 32 allies united by a common vision,” said Hlivko.

Trump’s failure to recognize the globalization of war threatens not only Ukraine but also Taiwan

While Trump’s first term brought some economic relief through tax cuts, it did little to fix most other problems. He thrived on antagonism rather than achievement. His impatience with the institutions and processes that make the laws and govern the country is legendary. Rejecting these lawsuits when he didn’t like the outcome of the 2020 election was almost a crime, notes Charles Moore in The Telegraph.

In addition, the fate of the entire world should be considered. One of Trump’s clearest messages, reinforced by his selection of JD Vance as vice president, is that he does not want to help Ukraine defeat Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

His strategic “realism,” promoted by political advisers such as Albright Colby, views these issues through a “pragmatic lens” and decides that America cannot simultaneously address the problems of Russia and China. Since the US and China are “two heavyweight boxers”, the focus should be on the relationship between these two great powers.

Trump has always been right when he said that America cannot contribute to the defense of Europe unless Europe defends itself. But he goes much further than that. He doesn’t seem to recognize that China and Russia see very clearly the connection between the takeover of Taiwan and the takeover of Ukraine, and want to use this to destroy Western, especially American, power.

“Trump’s neo-isolationism” ignores the lessons of World War II, when Western allies realized that war in Europe and the Far East were part of a global threat and could not be dealt with in isolation. At the time, even with a slower exchange of information and fewer international connections, it was clear that victory required a global approach.

“Trump’s failure to recognize the globalization of war threatens not only Ukraine, which he proposes to ignore, but also Taiwan, which he says he wants to help,” the author adds.