CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Beijing raised two distinct questions, each destabilizing for Washington. The South China Morning Post headlined 'As Iran talks go nowhere, will Donald Trump still go to Beijing?' -- a way of reminding the world that Trump's planned May visit to China depends on the regional stability Trump is busy destroying. The article noted that 'little progress has been made in resolving issues key to ending the war,' phrasing that places responsibility on Washington without directly accusing. The second SCMP article covered Navy Secretary Phelan's dismissal, described as a 'sudden exit' without explanation, in the context of Trump's ongoing military purge: General Randy George, Joint Chiefs Chairman Brown, the Navy chief, the Coast Guard chief, the NSA general, the Air Force vice chief of staff. The SCMP did not say Trump was purging his military command during a war -- it let the list speak for itself. Beijing is watching a strategic adversary swap generals mid-battle, a weakness Chinese military doctrine identifies as fatal. Beijing's silence on the Iranian seizures is also a signal: China condemns neither Iran nor the United States, preserving its position as a potential mediator.