Theoretically, destabilizing America. I don’t think that’s a very good angle of attack even though obviously a more zoomed-out view would show that the strategy is bad because it would destroy China’s reputation completely, because most Americans don’t understand how China and most of America’s adversaries have made substantial efforts to cultivate international respect and had some level of success (except the black sheep DPRK, perhaps)
When you’ve been told that USA #1 your entire life and you’ve been told the rest of the world is jealous of your freedom, and when you look around, you see a crumbling, collapsing dystopia, it isn’t too hard to connect that with the “jealous foreigners” part.
What benefits does China get from this transaction?
Theoretically, destabilizing America. I don’t think that’s a very good angle of attack even though obviously a more zoomed-out view would show that the strategy is bad because it would destroy China’s reputation completely, because most Americans don’t understand how China and most of America’s adversaries have made substantial efforts to cultivate international respect and had some level of success (except the black sheep DPRK, perhaps)
A lot of Americans don’t seem to grasp how good a job America is doing destabilizing itself.
When you’ve been told that USA #1 your entire life and you’ve been told the rest of the world is jealous of your freedom, and when you look around, you see a crumbling, collapsing dystopia, it isn’t too hard to connect that with the “jealous foreigners” part.