(The following is the keynote speech by Chinese ambassador to the United States Mr. Qin Gang at the welcome event hosted by the National Committee on US-China R

China’s new Ambassador Qin Gang has arrived in Washington, DC, tasked with chipping away at the frosty relationship between America and his home country.

Washington’s current Afghanistan crisis and domestic political instability present an ideal opportunity for China to accelerate its global and regional ‘grand strategy.’ Is the United States prepared to slow its advance?

Conventional logic would say that new leadership should open a broad window to reset relationships between nations. Yet as the first 6 months of the Biden presidency shows, the story is not always so cut-and-dry.

Russia’s influence once stretched from the edge of Western Europe to the battlefields of Vietnam. Surpassed economically by the West and China, Russian foreign policy sees opportunity in Southeast Asia to restore its global reach.

The world should thank Joe Biden for being straight about the aim of the America’s intervention in Afghanistan. It’s yet another wake-up call that reveals the truth about America’s approach to foreign policy. Uncle Sam will always be for himself.

In the year 2034, the United States and China become embroiled in a series of military conflicts that escalate into a devastating tactical nuclear war. Other countries – including Russia, Iran, and India – get involved. Suddenly, the world is on the verge of World War III.

Japan’s strong ties to the West have benefited its economy and global standing in the Pacific Rim for the better part of a century. Now, as China gains power and grows bolder, Japan’s next moves will test the stability of China-Japan relations.

North Korea has presented an issue to both China and the U.S. since the ceasefire halted the Korean War in 1953. Though both nations share common security interests regarding the Hermit Kingdom, the desired outcome may drive a wedge between them.

Reassuring verbal messages from high levels in the United States government regarding China are nice to hear but are little more than public relations. American credibility is so poor that few believe such statements are sincere. Actions speak louder than words, and they tell a different story.