China US Photo: VCG

 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin paid a visit to India. A joint statement between US and Indian defense chiefs did not mention China. Not long ago, China and India disengaged from the Pangong Tso, and India still holds its deep strategic guard against China. On the one hand, India strengthens relations with the US, and on the other, it keeps a certain distance with the US strategic intention to suppress China. The statement released after the US-South Korea 2+2 talks did not mention China either, apparently because South Korea did not want to.

So far, on the Asia tour by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Austin, only Japan completely coordinated with the US and released a joint statement which maliciously attacked China. This is the quality of the US' efforts to construct an anti-China alliance in Asia. It would be day-dreaming for the US to mobilize Asia to contain China. None of the ASEAN countries would sign a statement like the one signed between the US and Japan.

Japan has been striking a balance between consolidating the US alliance to keep a strategic edge over China and improving relations with China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused Japan of "inviting the wolf into the house." I think he did it right, as Tokyo has done things harmful to China.

China gave a blunt rebuke to the US in Alaska, so why couldn't China do the same to Japan? Japan is more powerful than South Korea, but Tokyo's diplomatic strategy is much more foolish than Seoul. It equals squeezing to a strategic dead end - it not only offended China, but also lost its leverage to maintain its own interests in front of the US. An already powerful China will not fear Japan, let alone given China and Russia join hands, Japan would have no chance to create any waves in Northeast Asia.

China's strength comes from its own development. The 14th Five-Year Plan is China's core agenda. If the US wants to hold China in awe and jeopardize China's development by forming a loose alliance based on wills, then fine - China will let them know the tenacity of the Chinese civilization.

The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn