Sorry, I was being a bit cheeky. I hear your points and they are valid.

Only if their base actually cares (and on the aggregate over time).

While true, there is economy to the least awful option - by virtue of the USA making itself less reliable, they’ve increased China’s standing automatically, especially in the soft-power vacuum the US has left behind.

China is right to calculate this, even if they aren’t really anyone’s ally.

Imagine the majority of the constituents that only read the headlines and move on; it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong, It’s economizing on it, and it’s a disservice for this to be the headline.

Especially since he’s done entire interviews saying precisely the opposite.

End the war before even taking office. Kept moving the bar, then eventually just pivoted and pretended there was no bar.