US and China Are Forgetting What Red Lines Are For
From Ukraine to Taiwan, the superpower rivals are sending each other the wrong messages.
China’s military drills around Taiwan have been growing more intense.
Photographer: Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images
From the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the US has argued that Western resolve would be tracked closely not just by Russia but China. That’s certainly been true. But Beijing, at least, may not be receiving the messages Washington intends to send.
Efforts to punish Russia for its aggression have, in fact, taught China valuable lessons in how to survive a conflict with the US and its allies. Chinese leaders are closely studying how their ally has been able to sustain a war economy despite punishing sanctions (with critical help from China itself). Meanwhile, they have accelerated steps to fortify the economy, with plans to achieve “absolute food security” and technological self-sufficiency.