Tarrifs

The announcement of potential 500% tariffs on countries importing Russian energy marks another chapter in the West’s economic containment strategy. But beneath the headlines about sanctions and trade wars lies a deeper question: why does China find itself surrounded by hostile neighbors while America dominates its hemisphere? The Neighborhood Problem China faces a strategic paradox that few rising powers have successfully navigated. Unlike the United States, which secured friendly relations across the Western Hemisphere through a combination of economic incentives and occasional force, China has managed to alienate nearly every country on its periphery.