Washington¡¯s one-two punch capturing Venezuela¡¯s leader and then killing Iran¡¯s in coordination with Israel has put Beijing on the back foot, according to former U.S. officials who have helped craft China policy.
Matt Pottinger, who served in U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s first administration as deputy national security advisor, sees the Iran war as challenging what he calls a broader China strategy to use an ¡°Axis of Chaos¡± to weaken America. That theory ¡ª popularized by Pottinger ¡ª places China at the center of a deepening partnership with countries such as Russia, Iran and North Korea.
¡°Beijing is the primary backer of a cohort of autocratic proxies who can challenge U.S. influence, sap the attention and resources of Washington and its democratic allies, and generally weaken American prestige,¡± he said. He took inspiration for his theory from Chinese President Xi Jinping¡¯s remarks in 2021 that the global situation was defined by ¡°chaos¡± and ¡°opportunities generally outweigh the challenges¡± for China.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.