In 2026, Deng Xiaoping’s advice to lie low is making a temporary, tactical return

Amid wars and intensifying US rivalry, Beijing appears keen to preserve room for manoeuvre. Read more at straitstimes.com.

BEIJING – As war raged in the Middle East and Washington moved to curb China’s influence in Latin America, observers were watching for clues on how Beijing intends to protect its interests abroad – and manage its most consequential external relationship, that with the United States.

It was against this backdrop that China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi took the stage on March 8 for his press conference on the sidelines of the Two Sessions, the country’s annual meetings of lawmakers and political advisers.

The silver-haired 72-year-old, presiding over the annual ritual for the 12th time, has long been the public voice of China’s diplomacy, at times not above delivering sharp rebukes in defence of Beijing’s positions.

This year, however, Mr Wang’s tone was notably more measured. On some of the world’s hottest flashpoints, he stuck largely to reiterations of broad principles rather than spelling out what Beijing might actually do.

The restraint suggested Beijing is keen to preserve maximum diplomatic room for manoeuvre as it prepares to host United States President Donald Trump later in March.

That caution was visible in Mr Wang’s comments on Iran, where a joint US-Israeli strike killed the country’s Supreme Leader and triggered Iranian retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region.