Iran strikes could signal limits of Beijing, Moscow’s power as US flexes strength
President Donald Trump is weighing whether to pull the trigger and launch strikes against Iran — a move that could potentially expose the weaknesses of both Russia and China, according...
By Fox News · Fox News
President Donald Trump is weighing whether to pull the trigger and launch strikes against Iran — a move that could potentially expose the weaknesses of both Russia and China , according to experts. While Russia and China have sought to make inroads in areas of Africa and Latin America — presenting themselves as partners for infrastructure and military equipment — both Russia and China did not intervene to defend their ally Venezuela when the U.S. took action Jan. 3 to topple dictator Nicolás Maduro ’s regime. Potential strikes in Iran, coupled with the strikes in Venezuela to overthrow Maduro’s regime, would drive home just how formidable the U.S. is and even near-peer adversaries like Beijing can’t compete, according to experts. "Beijing would likely respond with familiar condemnations and calls for restraint, but the deeper takeaway would be uncomfortable: China’s partnerships offer little protection when the United States decides to act," Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in a statement Wednesday. "Venezuela made that clear regionally; Iran would underscore it globally. Chinese officials will brand Washington reckless or rogue, but privately this episode would validate long-standing Chinese views about how power is actually exercised and that the U.S. is the only country willing and able to project force across multiple theaters on short notice." RAND PAUL SAYS TRUMP'S THREAT TO BOMB IRAN 'IS NOT THE ANSWER': NOT THE 'JOB OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT' "Two complex military operations in two regions just two weeks apart would reinforce a core assessment inside China’s system: America’s military might remains unmatched, and Washington is willing to use it when it judges the risks manageable," Singleton said. "That combination commands professional respect even as it sharpens Chinese unease." Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ defense and security departmen…