Trump’s show of force in the Middle East creates a weakness China can exploit

Beijing can again leverage its critical minerals dominance over an increasingly busy US military, as Taiwan slides further down the White House list of priorities

As the US and Israel opened a new chapter of chaos in the Middle East, China stands to benefit from a Washington establishment that does not have the political or physical resources to focus on Asia.

Officially, China has condemned the attacks. Wang Yi, the foreign minister, called them unacceptable" and called for a ceasefire, rhetoric that is typical of Beijing in response to Donald Trump's increasingly erratic foreign policy moves.