Why Operation Epic Fury Is Catastrophic for Xi

The U.S.–Israeli military campaign has created palpable problems for China.

The men in Zhongnanhai do not rattle easily. Decades of patient statecraft, a foreign policy built on studied ambiguity, and an economy engineered to absorb external shocks have granted Beijing's leadership a remarkable tolerance for turbulence. Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.–Israeli military campaign now dismantling Iran's military architecture, has produced something unusual in the corridors of Chinese power: visible confusion.