United Nations. File Photo: VCG

The enemy of our enemy is our friend, and the friend of our enemy is our enemy. This is a simple concept of friend and foe, but we should not take it to the extreme. In particular, we shouldn't take it as a principle to abide by when considering the current global geopolitics. As a major country, China has multiple dimensions of global interests, which cannot be simplified. Additionally, the relationship between China and the US is not simply one of hostility. We should not blindly oppose the US and make it the guiding principle of our foreign relations philosophy.

The US has more than 60 allies and partners around the world. Obviously, we cannot consider all these countries as enemies or potential enemies of China. We must strive to make the majority of these countries also China's friends. Even when facing US' staunch allies, we should try to minimize their hostility toward China.

The US has several openly declared enemies in the world, and China certainly should try to win them over. In most cases, China should open doors of friendly cooperation to them. However, one principle is crucial: Our relationship with them should be placed under the overall strategic framework of China's foreign relations, rather than blindly standing with them just because they are enemies of the US. It is not advisable to unconditionally support whoever the US opposes or support their actions simply because the US opposes them.

Dealing with the relationships with those countries or forces requires coordination with China's relations with other countries. In doing so, China must prioritize its national interests and uphold the most basic international morality to maintain a positive international image and ensure the maximization of China's diplomatic interests.

Indeed, China has always managed its national diplomatic route in this way, and overall, it has been successful. China's public opinion field is relatively diverse, with more emotional elements. Whenever there is an international conflict, there are often two factions with unlimited support for each side of the conflict. In fact, both factions have the impulse and stubbornness to take sides, but their basic understanding of friends and foes differs. This is probably a natural characteristic of the public opinion field.

However, I want to remind the public opinion field that as China has developed to this day and needs to expand its national interests globally, the line of thinking that the enemy of our enemy is our friend has become too narrow-minded, and we must be able to think and consider more complex issues from a broader perspective. This is not a requirement for every individual, but influential internet celebrities should establish this awareness, and the Chinese internet public opinion field as a whole should also expand its horizons in this way.

The author is a Chinese media professional. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn