US-China relations and cowboy militarism in 2026: A Tale of Two Strategies

They've shaken hands, but the fist is still clenched. According to SCMP columnist Alex Lo, the "cowboy militarism" defining US foreign policy is warping its sense of reality. High-profile operations, like the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and state-sponsored drone strikes, make leaders feel all-powerful but may ultimately prove self-defeating.

The Perils of US-China relations and cowboy militarism

Following the raid in Caracas, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared that the US is re-establishing "absolute deterrence." However, critics argue that when violence becomes a primary resort rather than a last one, it creates a hammer-and-nail fallacy. This aggressive stance, often associated with the approach of Donald Trump, risks breaching global sovereignty and killing civilian bystanders.

China's Strategic Restraint Regarding Taiwan

While some observers expect Xi Jinping to follow the Western model of intervention, Beijing appears far more calculating. Kidnapping or assassinating Taiwanese leader William Lai wouldn't bring unification any closer; instead, it'd complicate an already combustible situation. China's preference for constraint is seen not as a lack of capability, but as a commitment to keeping its policy realistic and vision-guided.