2025 has been a disastrous year for the Western camp—one glaring setback after another. Their losing streak is impossible to hide. Why is this happening? Let’s dive into the latest news and analysis.
China’s Reference News pointed to an October 16 article on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung website, headlined “China, not Trump’s Washington, is the real world power.”
It argues that before the close of the decade, China will become the world’s leading power. Washington’s unpredictable domestic and foreign policies have chipped away at America’s credibility and global charm. By contrast, Beijing’s steady, cooperative stance looks far more appealing in a chaotic world—something many Western pundits are reluctant to admit.
Latest polls from countries worldwide—including many in Europe—show China topping the popularity charts, leaving the US in the dust. China now holds the crown for soft power. Instead of listing every win one by one, let’s flip the script and see where America as the West’s leader is dropping the ball. German outlets point out that Trump’s “America First” doctrine has alienated partners, eroded alliances, and sapped US allure. But is it just Western in-fighting? This reveals a century-long blind spot: too often, the West has either been living in a self-fulfilling narrative or ignored capitalism’s democratic flaws—embracing fairy tales over logic. The bottom line? The US and its Western allies, Germany included, crumble under real pressure.
China Holds the Cards
The answer to who’s serious is written on the wall: China’s the only one playing for keeps.
Over the weekend, over 2,700 US cities—from New York to the smallest towns—flooded the streets under the banner “No Kings,” airing their discontent with Trump. When reporters asked him about it, Trump shot back, “I’m not a king.” (Deutsche Welle)
Trump may deny being a king, but he’s the ultimate street boss. After nearly a year, his crude, street-fighter approach—pure street smarts—makes it clear the White House is run by hustlers. They lash out when they lose and double down when they win. If their usual smoke-and-mirrors get exposed, they erupt in profanity-fueled tantrums. From the president and vice president down to the War and Treasury secretaries—and even the White House press secretary—it’s the same rush. With tactics like that, who’d mistake Trump for royalty? As Cantonese says: “Even in the dragon robe, he looks less like a crown prince—let alone an emperor.”
Two real stories from Europe and America lay their ugly truth bare—they read like chapters from China’s classic collection of supernatural tales “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio”.
Ghost Stories of the West
In 2012, the Costa Concordia—with 4,232 passengers aboard—hit a reef off Italy and flipped, killing 32 and injuring 64. Three years later, Captain Francesco Schettino was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and slapped with a 16-year sentence. He broke down in court, insisting he was just the cruise line’s fall guy to protect its bottom line.
Back in 1912, the Titanic rammed an iceberg in the North Atlantic and went down, taking over 1,500 lives out of 2,200 on board. The tragedy laid bare the ship’s lack of lifeboats. Rumor has it Captain Edward Smith turned down rescue offers after the crash—and he was never found.
If there was ever a “Titanic spirit,” design flaws aside, it sure didn’t save the captain. A century on, prosecutors branded him a “reckless fool” who “ditched his passengers to save himself.” How does the West shrug this off?
I’ll spare you the full breakdown—this screams “Painted Skin” from Strange Stories. And guess what? Google’s AI nails it in its summary:
Google AI Spills the Moral
First takeaway: don’t let looks fool you. The tale warns against those who wear human skin with scorpion hearts hidden inside.
Second lesson: moral retribution exists. Good or bad, actions have consequences—so be kind and stay on guard.
See the point? With AI as our guide, we don’t need to wait for dawn. Bravo!
Deep Blue
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
China's backed Trump into a corner. Over the past few days, he's been throwing around "terminating business with China" threats like confetti. But despite his decoupling bluster, bad news just dropped, and the White House lights are burning bright again tonight as staffers order pizza for another overtime session. What a joy.
Reuters dropped a bombshell: Chinese manufacturers have already lined up alternative buyers beyond the US market. “China's export growth picked up pace in September, buoyed by manufacturers finding buyers in markets beyond the U.S. as a tariff deal with President Donald Trump remained elusive while investors grappled with the latest salvoes in their trade war.”
Chinese exports are absolutely booming—customs data shows over 8% year-on-year growth last month, crushing Reuters' 6% forecast. China's export situation isn't just good. It's excellent.
Meanwhile, Trump's ready with his own playbook. He's raging on social media: “I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act.”
Then, while hosting Argentine President Milei at the White House, he threw out a warning: "We have to be careful with China." The superpower's run out of cards to play against China, so Trump's hinting that complete decoupling might be on the table. Analysts note this message wasn't just for Milei—it was for every American ally listening.
Trump's pushing for a showdown to apply maximum pressure on China. Since rare earths are threatening America's lifeline, why not just break up completely? The subtext: China has rare earths while America has strength.
Reuters points out that no country matches America's consumer firepower—the US absorbs over $400 billion worth of Chinese goods annually. With China prioritizing economic development, how could it possibly just ditch the American market?
China's Been Planning This All Along
But the hawks and White House team have missed something crucial—China's been preparing for this with long-term strategic resolve. Reuters reports that Chinese policymakers are betting on factory owners expanding sales across Asia, Africa, and Latin America to offset trade restrictions and keep this nearly $19 trillion export-driven economy hitting its official 5% annual growth target.
Last year's Nikkei Asia report revealed the shift: China's total trade with the US plummeted from 20% in 2018 to around 11%, with imports dropping to 6.3%—the lowest since China joined the WTO in 2001. The trend's continued this year, with US-bound exports down 30% year-on-year in September and 20% from January through September. At the same time, China's exports to India hit a historic high in August, and shipments to Africa and Southeast Asia are on track for annual records.
Long before Trump's second inauguration, China had already ditched American soybeans for Brazilian ones. Chinese Mainland commentators noted back then that China had achieved trade diversification, arguing that even if Trump launched another trade war, China wouldn't be worried. The logic was simple: China had made full preparations, meaning a trade war wouldn't damage Chinese fundamentals while severely hurting America's vitality. The mutual dependence ratio between the two countries was completely lopsided.）
The reasoning went deeper. Observers pointed out that the US would struggle to achieve de-Sinicization because of China's vast market. The massive population base doesn't just provide cheap labor—it creates an enormous consumer market that's impossible to replace.
The Impossible Choice for US Allies
Then Trump added another line for Milei: "You can do some trade, but you certainly shouldn’t be doing beyond that,“ especially anything to do with the military, or else “I’d be very upset about that”.
In other words, he's forcing Milei to choose—the main theme is "rely on America for security, rely on China for the economy." Simply put, China weighs half a catty, America weighs eight taels—you decide. Reportedly, Milei went silent for a while.
Oh, I get it—I understand what Milei and other American allies are thinking. Ever heard Sam Hui's song "Half a Catty, Eight Taels"? "These days, making a living is tough—where's the ideal balance of half a catty and eight taels?" A backing vocal chimes in—"Hell!"—which perfectly captures the helplessness of being "caught between a rock and a hard place", and squeezed from both sides.
