Overview
- Chinese elites and state media portray the U.S. strikes on Iran as evidence of American decline, reinforcing a long-running narrative popularized under Xi Jinping.
- At the ongoing National People's Congress, Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the attacks and cast China as a reliable, cooperative alternative.
- Beijing is courting the Global South and reengaging selected European leaders, contrasting its approach with U.S. tariffs and sanctions.
- Analysts document a resurgence of the slogan that the East is rising and the West declining, with mentions peaking in 2022 and rising again from late 2024.
- Experts highlight limits to Beijing's gains, citing reliance on Middle Eastern oil, the absence of concrete support for partners like Iran and Venezuela, and the United States' enduring military advantage noted by Chinese scholars.