What lies behind the U.S.'s hysterical allegations of China?

Within this perception, the U.S. sought to pressure China from the outset, starting with accusing China of "violating U.S. sanctions against Russia."

Of course, the underlying logic of this accusation is extremely absurd. The U.S. assumes that its domestic laws and legislations are not only binding within its borders, but also globally. This kind of American infringement on the sovereignty of states and international laws has come to bear a clear name: "long-arm jurisdiction" – without any legal basis, and which is a typical example of the bullying mentality that governs American behavior on the international scene.

What is new in the U.S.'s attempts to pressure China is the campaign launched by U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on February 19. While attending the Munich Security Conference, Blinken warned China against supplying Russia with weapons to support its war in Ukraine. This is the first time that a U.S. official of this level has insinuated such a claim.

Things did not stop at the one statement, but was followed by several American and Western statements along the same lines, which continue to reverberate even two weeks after Blinken's aforementioned remarks. Western media have also started discussing the implications of the entry of Chinese weapons into the Ukrainian battle, as if it had really happened.

This method of media work, largely adopted by the West, brings to mind the words of the Reich (Nazi) Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels: "Repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it."

Undoubtedly, there are many benefits and objectives to the American discourse – which has reached hysterical levels – about Chinese weapons being sent to Russia.

Among the obvious objectives is serving American propaganda about what is happening in Ukraine; specifically, saying that the Russian arms stockpile has or is about to run out, and therefore China will come in to help the "collapsed" Russia. This kind of propaganda about the depletion of Russian arms stockpile has been repeated so much more than Goebbels intended in his "advice" that it has begun to backfire within the general public around the world. However, this remains necessary for Washington in the context of prolonging the war and attrition by creating illusions about the possibility of a landslide victory based on the notion of a "total Russian collapse."

An apartment block damaged by shellfire in the city of Mariupol, Ukraine, May 3, 2022. /CFP

An apartment block damaged by shellfire in the city of Mariupol, Ukraine, May 3, 2022. /CFP

Perhaps the timing of this American propaganda about China sending weapons to Russia reveals the U.S.'s most important objective. It is not a coincidence at all that Blinken's statement, referenced hereinabove, came only 24 hours after member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Wang Yi's statement about China's peace initiative in Ukraine.

The crux of the matter is that Washington sees any call for peace in Ukraine, especially if it comes from China, as a threat to its global plans and as a threat to Western "unity." Over the past year, Washington has proven to its allies – even before its enemies – especially in Europe, the absolute validity of Henry Kissinger's statement: "It may be dangerous to be America's enemy; but to be America's friend is fatal."

Naturally, it is difficult, at least in public, for the U.S. to attack China's calls for dialogue and peace, because that would put the U.S. in a humiliating position globally, but also domestically. Therefore, Washington has resorted to utilizing a convoluted method to work against China's calls for peace. On the one hand, the U.S. has launched a political media campaign to accuse China of supplying weapons to Russia in the battle with Ukraine, and on the other hand, the U.S. has utilized this same campaign it had fabricated to question China's initiative and said that it had no added value.

That is, by accusing China of supplying weapons to Russia, Washington is preemptively seeking to undermine Chinese mediation by accusing China of being a side to the conflict and therefore not suitable as a mediator.

The extent of American hysteria, at the official level and in the media, in accusing China on the alleged weapons sale and questioning its peace initiative reflects the importance of this initiative. It also reflects the extent to which the war hawks and arms industry conglomerates worry about the ability of the Chinese initiative to push the various sides to reach compromises that put an end to the tragedy and lay the foundation for a new model in resolving international crises.

Note: Mohannad Dlykan is a Syrian journalist and the Council Secretary of People's Will Party in Syria.

Source: What lies behind the U.S.'s hysterical allegations of China?

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