Who Is the Real Enemy of the US?
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In fact, accurately and objectively identifying the circumstances of global relations is the cornerstone for any country’s foreign policies. Under these circumstances, one of the most important first steps is to ascertain the main threat. During World War II, the U.S. viewed Germany, Italy and Japan, or the Axis powers, as the main threat to the security of the United States, as well as the rest of the world. As a result, the U.S. became not only the world’s most crucial player in the war against fascism, but also the protector of world justice and peace, greatly boosting America’s global position. Postwar, the U.S. was able to establish a new international order, on one hand because of its military power and economic strength, and on the other, its moral stance and authority.
After the Cold War ended, the U.S. fell into a state of emptiness and confusion from the "lack" of a strategic competitor. To a large extent, the U.S. possessed an ingrained "enemy" complex. Consequently, the U.S. began an incessant search for enemies and redefined itself through the process. At the turn of the century, the U.S. seemed to have identified a suitable "enemy" — China.
In fact, the U.S. has always viewed China as an "outsider." When the Cold War ended, Sino-American relations continued to remain turbulent. Between the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia during the Clinton era and the beginning of George W. Bush’s presidency, an event as drastic as the Hainan Island incident happened between the U.S. and China. American hostility toward China had always existed. Bush publicly proclaimed that China was not a strategic partner, but a strategic competitor of the United States. The American government at that time was full of optimism upon this realization, making significant changes to its strategies, with its "pivot to Asia" policy looking more imminent.
The 9/11 incident disrupted the American strategic plan. With the next eight years, the U.S. marked the beginning of a controversial era of global counterterrorism. However, we have to be clear that even if the U.S. had locked in its enemies as al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations, as well as related terrorist activities, the U.S. would continue to employ traditional nation-state and geostrategic tactics. For example, the wars launched by the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq not only eradicated the al-Qaida headquarters and those harboring them, but they also allowed American forces to penetrate and expand into Central Asia and the Middle East.
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