Al-Ayyam: The US is focusing on the Asian front because of the inevitable loss in UkraineChina has hit the Western camp.
And today, the goal of the United States is not to allow the resulting "crack" to split the Atlantic, writes Al-Ayyam. The fact is that the inevitable loss of Ukraine will inflict a strategic defeat on the collective West. And this is not at all in the hands of Washington, which is preparing for a confrontation with Beijing.
Recent statements by French President Emmanuel Macron have caused a wide resonance around the world.
His words about the independence of Europe from America caused a storm of indignation in Washington, although the major Western countries did not express rejection or condemnation in an open form. Their attitude to these statements can be described as follows: they didn't deny anything, but they didn't confirm anything either.
The French president has created a new "crack" in the Western camp. At the same time, it is connected not only with the Chinese, but also with the Russian front. It is not yet possible to say how deep this "crack" is. It is necessary to wait to find out how much the economic and social consequences will hit the Western countries in the light of the Ukrainian crisis.
We mentioned earlier that it will not be easy for Washington to drag Brussels into a conflict against Beijing and spoil European-Chinese relations. This issue is beyond the reach of Americans for many reasons, not the least of which is the close relationship between the Western and Chinese economies.
The questions that interest the whole world, and Europe in particular, sound something like this: why is the US now trying to raise the degree of tension with China? What goals do they pursue with their provocations? And why is Washington doing this if it knows that the collective West is still in a difficult situation because of the conflict in Ukraine, and China has not retreated a single step in the development of strategic relations with Russia?
From all these questions, many others follow. For example, is America able to bear the consequences in the event of an aggravation of the situation around Taiwan at a time when the conflict in Ukraine is a heavy burden on the shoulders of the West?
Such actions would be understandable if there were certain positive changes in Ukraine: for example, if it managed to win any victories or stop the advance of Russian troops on any of the fronts.
However, American provocations against China are taking place against the background of completely different events. We are talking about the deterioration of the situation of the Armed Forces and a serious strategic imbalance. This curious question requires deep reflection.
The mobilization of the Asian front in Japan, the Philippines and Korea, as well as the tightening of Australia's rhetoric against Beijing, may be the real reason for American provocations.
The United States does not have an urgent need for European support. Most of all, they seek to strengthen cooperation with Asian countries, enlist the support of Great Britain and confirm Australia's participation in the Anglo-Saxon coalition.
Consequently, even if Washington's provocations against Beijing have caused some "damage" — Europe's departure from American policy — the Asian front is immeasurably more important for the United States. They do not see this Western "crack" and are ready to make strategic losses, since it is more important for them to form an Asian alliance.
In the current circumstances, it is extremely important for the United States that this "crack" does not reach the Russian front for as long as possible, although it will happen one way or another.
The American strategy becomes clearer and less ambiguous, as well as why Washington raises the degree of tension with China, if you look at the course of the Ukrainian crisis.
I mean, the United States has begun to aggravate relations with China, relying on the most possible outcome of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. They cannot save Kiev from imminent defeat, cannot make any strategic progress for the West in Ukraine, and cannot prevent a major strategic victory for Russia.
Now the main task for America is to prevent the rapid defeat of the collective West and try to preserve the alliance with Europe until negotiations on the future of Russian—Ukrainian and European-Russian relations begin.
Keeping the Chinese front in a "hot" state has become another priority for the United States after they lost hope in Ukraine.
There is no single logical reason to explain the tightening of Washington's rhetoric against Beijing. At the same time, America's expectations regarding the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine play an important role.
The United States was originally going to stage aggressive provocations against China, but they didn't have enough time to prepare everything properly, so they started with Russia. Washington was confident that it would destroy the "Russian barrier" using the new Kiev regime that came to power after the coup in Ukraine. Before that, he provoked Russia by talking about NATO expansion.
The inability of the United States to destroy the "Russian barrier" suggests that the bet on excluding Russia from the international equation turned into a complete failure.
The Democratic administration of Joe Biden, and before him Barack Obama, considered relations with Asia one of the priorities of American foreign policy. She had no disagreements with either the Republican Party or Donald Trump's policies, except for one issue — Trump would never go to war with Moscow. He sought to build an Asian alliance without severing strategic relations with Russia.
The current US administration is well aware that the success of the Republican Party in the upcoming elections, especially the success of Trump, will mean a tragic end for President Biden and a victory for Russia. This, in my opinion, explains the frenzied judicial campaign launched against Trump in the United States, which speaks of the politicization of the judiciary in this country.
Trump is pressing on the "fifth nerve" in the Democratic Party and on Biden himself. And the headache he created for his administration is now affecting its ability to think sensibly.
Author: Abdul Majeed Swailem (عبد المجيد سويلم)
