In a recent video posted on YouTube by China Dragon TV, on August 17, 2021, Professor Zhang Weiwei, together with another TV pundit Jin Canrong, mocked the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Zhang Weiwei is an internet celebrity and a top propaganda consultant for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo. He questioned the ability of the U.S. military to counter China, after it had been fighting for 20 years in Afghanistan and was unable to defeat the Taliban. He criticized the U.S. leaders for their lack of "overall thinking" and always making "strategic mistakes." Another guest, Jin Canrong, a well-known TV pundit in China, described Biden administration's diplomatic approaches as "chaotic."
To view the clip of Professor Zhang Weiwei on MEMRI TV, click here or below.
"The United States... Could Not Even Defeat The Taliban – And Then You Want To Come And Deal With China? Can This Army You Pulled Out Handle China?"
Zhang Weiwei: "Let me give you an example of [the Americans'] lack of strategic vision: Biden's announcement that he was pulling out the troops from Afghanistan, and that this would be completed by September 11th. He justified it by saying that [these troops] would be dedicated to other threats, especially from China. Think about it. The United States, a superpower, has been fighting in Afghanistan for twenty years, and could not even defeat the Taliban – and then you want to come and deal with China? Can this army you pulled out handle China?
"So, there is no comprehensive thinking. It's really childish stuff. How can the U.S. strategists be at such a [low] level? Really, the U.S. is always engaged in think thank ranking. I simply cannot believe this stuff. They are trying to find a pretext, to withdraw decently, after twenty years and a major defeat, right? How can this thing be justified?"
Journalist: "More than one trillion dollars have been spent in Afghanistan."
Zhang Weiwei: "Yet no one is seriously reflecting on what mistakes they made, and how they made a decision to start a war which lasted to this day, and was, ultimately, a waste of people and money."
Journalist: "They do not reflect."
Zhang Weiwei: "Right.
[...]
Biden "Wants To Increase Military Spending... The U.S. Military Spending Is So Many Times More Than That Of The Taliban... What's The Point Of Increasing Military Spending Only?"
"I think this analysis is not complicated. Even our high school students can understand that. He wants to increase military spending, right? The U.S. military spending is so many times more than that of the Taliban and Afghanistan – did the U.S. win? they didn't, right? What's the point of increasing military spending only? They always make strategic mistakes, big strategic mistakes, one after another, from the Korean War, the Vietnam War, to now. Really, I've always been pessimistic about the U.S., have been down on them for many years."
[...]
Jin Canrong: "First of all, so far, the Biden administration's diplomatic strategy has not been finalized. He probably has two clear diplomatic goals, one is to return to the world leadership, and the other is to compete with China on all fronts. All the other things were not well thought out. Because of this, his next approaches are very chaotic. Generally, he has some methods like this: He will use some of Trump's stuff, such as constantly sending warships and planes to scare us here. He's still doing this. In addition, he is working on the 'Quad,' which is what Trump did, and he continues to do it. There are also some traditional Obama practices, such as reconstructing the alliance system and stressing international rules, right? And raising the 'ideology card.' He keeps using these three cards and then he added a little of his own, that is strengthening their domestic infrastructure construction, increasing scientific research investment, supporting and fostering their manufacturing to compete with China. So even though he now has some tactics, but overall, it looks chaotic. There is no consistent philosophy."
