As US air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities call into question the anti-war stance of US President Donald Trump, they may also reinforce Beijing’s assumptions about the unpredictability of the US administration, according to diplomatic observers.
The attacks could bolster belief in Beijing that Washington might intervene in regional conflicts, prompting stronger strategic preparations in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, they added.
Their assessment came after an unprecedented US air strike on Iran with its most powerful non-nuclear weapons, followed by an Iranian retaliatory strike on the largest US airbase in the region.
During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly pitched himself as an anti-war president and a peace broker, promising to put “America first” by ending US involvement in risky and expensive overseas conflicts.
Trump has yet to meet his campaign promises to swiftly end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and with the bombing of Iran, he appears to have shifted from his anti-war position, despite a subsequent ceasefire announcement on social media on Tuesday.
Margherita Block
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