In their latest communique, NATO leaders declared that China presents “systemic challenges to the rules-based international order.”
The response from China’s mission to the European Union was clear: “We will not present a ‘systemic challenge’ to anyone, but if someone wants to pose a ‘systemic challenge’ to us, we will not remain indifferent.”
Such a tit-for-tat rhetoric is unnecessary and most of the world’s population probably does not want it to escalate. Yet escalation is becoming more likely every day.