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Beijing’s muted response shows that when core interests are at stake, even close partners are expendable.

BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 5: Chinese President Xi Jinping listens during speeches to the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People on March 5, 2026 in Beijing, China. China's annual political gatherings, which includes the important National People's Congress (NPC), and is known as the Two Sessions, convenes leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. The meetings are expected to close by March 12th. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Capitulation in the form of a deal will not stave off US aggression. Defiance through regional alliances could.

People walk with Iranian national flags near a ballistic missile launch vehicle in Tehran on February 11, 2026, during a rally marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution. The Persian calendar date of Bahman 22 celebrates the anniversary of the resignation of the ousted shah's last prime minister and the formal assumption of power by revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. (Photo by AFP)

Despite close ties with Caracas, Beijing is wary of getting dragged into a distant conflict.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto shake hands before their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool