Let me explain why China does not pursue an alliance-building strategy like the United States. The primary reason lies in China's historically poor experiences with allies.
China and the Soviet Union were once close allies, yet they quickly fell out and even stood on the brink of war. China and Vietnam were also allies—but war broke out between them in 1979. China and North Korea remain bound by a formal alliance, but in reality, the relationship is far from the harmonious image often portrayed. Albania, a small European country once allied with China and the recipient of substantial material aid, did not hesitate to abandon the alliance when its demands were no longer met.
From these experiences, China reached a clear conclusion: alliances are inherently unreliable. When the interests of both sides diverge, the alliance is likely to fracture. In contrast, partnerships grounded in shared, evolving interests tend to be more durable. Moreover, smaller allies can drag major powers into conflicts they would rather avoid—World War 1 stands as the clearest illustration of this danger.
From China’s perspective, the liabilities of the alliance system far outweigh the illusory sense of security that a wide circle of allies might provide. In fact, when global war erupts, the positions of smaller nations often prove irrelevant. Looking back at both world war 1&2, the decisive players were only a few major powers—the smaller countries had little influence over the final outcome.
A map of Japan published in 1821 by the renown Japanese cartographer Ino Tadataka. He's been honored in many ways, including with a statue and on postage stamps. Interesting how the Ryukyu Islands / Okinawa are not included on the map. Hmm... 🧐