well, sun tzu said to avoid strengths and attack weaknesses

when the yanks pivot to asia, I thought that rather than to fight the yanks head on in western pacific, this is a good time for China to fill the vacuum left by the US every where, to seize the influences abandon by the US. This will keep the yanks busy and hinder its pivot to asia.

But it is Russia that move fast to fill that vacuum in middle east and africa, at least militarily and geopolitically. Local players like Saudi and Iran also move fast. China, as always, move more cautiously. Don't know if it is a good thing or not, but I worry that it is a missed opportunities, I could be wrong.

however, I also feel that the yanks are more determine this time to not let those places stay in the way of their pivot to asia. Just look at the case in Ukraine, it is clear the US do its best not to get dragged into direct conflict with Russia. It is clear they are saving the strength to face China. I don't know if the US is just saving strength for just in case scenario, or if the US is really preparing for a showdown with China. As always, just assume and prepare for the worst is probably the right response.

anyway, these events confimed me that China is really already in a cold war with the US whether China want it or not, when the US make every thing happened globally about China. I personally don't think that China is going to use the event in this Hamas-Israel war to further its geopolitical interest, but apparently the US thought differently. Chinese diplomatic corps need to be better prepared for this new cold war. There will be more and more attacks, traps, and roadblocks by the US on Chinese diplomacy and relationship with other countries.