You can't even blame the Chinese leadership for firing all its propaganda machines against the United States.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaos that followed it simply provides too much material.
It is now comparatively easy to raise doubts among Washington's partners and security clients in the Indo-Pacific region as to whether America can really be relied on if the worst comes to the worst.
Since the major Sino-American conflict is being carried out not least in this region, in which Beijing is pursuing a policy of aggressive expansion of power, alliances, credibility and reliability play a major role. It goes without saying that the American Vice President has now sought to dispel doubts in Singapore and has reaffirmed America's ongoing commitment.
But malicious glee and aggressive accusations aren't Beijing's only responses. In fact, China is also criticizing Washington precisely because it has withdrawn; because it pursues “selfish” foreign policy goals. That can only mean: The United States should not have withdrawn from the Hindu Kush, at least not like that. Why? Beyond the geo-economic interests that China has in Afghanistan, it naturally sees that an America that is no longer embroiled in “endless wars” in the Middle East can now focus on the real strategic conflict - the one with China.