Burning Bridges While Beijing Builds Them: America’s Waning Diplomatic Capital

Neve Walker

Staff Writer

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For decades since the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S. has championed itself as the architect of the liberal international order, a system rooted in alliances, adherence to international law, and democratization. Yet today, that hegemonic power we once saw has been waning. China’s Belt and Road Initiatives work to expand its influence abroad, while the U.S. has alienated its allies through short-sighted foreign policy measures.

The BRI spans over one hundred countries, financing ports, highways, railways, and energy infrastructure. China is quite literally building bridges around the world. Critics of this project will rightfully warn that many of these initiatives create unsustainable debt for developing countries. China is using this project to create leverage over strategic assets and ports to influence political decisions. A key example of this is the Sri Lankans’ handover of the Hambantota port after Sri Lanka struggled to pay back the loans. China was able to gain the upper hand in this relationship, which pushed Sri Lanka into an alliance with China, making the rules. Even though this may seem immoral to most, myself included, it does make for strategic alliance-building, as it makes China more powerful in the global order. 

Yet to dismiss the BRI as solely an area of debt trap diplomacy misses a crucial point of the project: infrastructure builds relationships. Relationships that cannot be broken. Power grids and roads are not merely economic tools; they are embedded in China’s domestic development plans. Even when projects generate controversy, they entangle states with China in ways that translate into diplomatic goodwill or dependence, especially during international disputes. In an era where global influence is not bought in conquest, China is playing a long game in alliance-building, even if this game has strings attached. 

To contrast this, the U.S. plays reactive international politics rather than cultivating strategic partnerships. The U.S. does still maintain powerful alliances, mainly NATO, which has been proven to be resilient, yet these relationships do seem to be strained with the United States continual aid to Israel, a country whose public opinion is strained. The alliance’s renewed cohesion demonstrates that U.S. leadership remains indispensable in European security; however, repeated disputes over defense spending, as well as sporadic threats to reduce U.S. commitments, and political polarization, have created a sense of insecurity and uncertainty in these relationships (Pew Research). Allies may cooperate out of political necessity, but confidence in American leadership and reliability has become conditional.

Perceptions of American inconsistency are sharpened by its unreliable approach to international law (even being characterized as a “rogue nation” by the International Journal of Constitutional Law), especially in the Middle East. U.S. policy towards Israel has long been characterized by a deep strategic partnership, involving frequent use of veto power at the UNSC. When the United States demands accountability from adversaries but appears reluctant to apply similar standards to close partners, it opens itself up to accusations of double standards, accusations that China exploits.

This gap in credibility matters. Global influence is not derived solely from military strength or economic capacity; it is sustained through legitimacy. Countries deciding whether to align with the U.S. or China observe not only rhetoric but also behavior. 

Looking ahead, demographic change may further reshape American foreign policy. Within the next twenty years, Gen Z will occupy more positions in government and will shape public discourse. Polling already shows that younger Americans hold more critical and nuanced views of U.S. policy in the Middle East than in previous generations. Included in this is a growing concern for Palestinian rights and skepticism towards our seemingly unconditional military and economic support for Israel. As these attitudes translate into meaningful power, the U.S approach to the region may face a shift from support for Israel to support for the Palestinians.  

None of this, though, suggests that China’s rise is benevolent or that American decline is inevitable. The BRI has been revealed to lack transparency and trap countries in cyclical debt. Meanwhile, the U.S. still commands an unparalleled amount of soft power and global influence. To this end, though, the U.S. cannot rely solely on past prestige or military might. It must rebuild trust as fast as China is building bridges.

Image courtesy of Getty Images.