Commentary
Small states and their actions are key indicators of U.S. power. They allow Washington to perceive which way the geopolitical winds are blowing because small states get a vote regarding whether they seek to align with the United States or its enemy, communist China. Two recent events reveal that the evidence is mixed. That means the United States has considerable work to do to fight China globally, including in small states. They are often on the frontline of the Sino-American clash and must be supported when they resist China’s depredations.
In August, in a positive development, Estonia and Latvia joined Lithuania, which had left China’s 17+1 organization in 2021. China’s organization, labeled 16+1 after Vilnius’ departure, was to promote economic, political, and social ties between Beijing and the states of Europe. These brave states and frontline NATO members have shown that small states can check Beijing’s ambition and effort to undermine U.S. alliances….