Donald Trump's diplomatic strategy in the Middle East relied on vague, insubstantial Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs). This approach, seen in conflicts involving Iran, Yemen, and Gaza, fails to resolve core issues, leaving room for uncertainty and an eventual return to conflict because no concrete commitments are made upfront.
China's push to export AI services like driverless cabs is driven by economic necessity, not just geopolitical ambition. The domestic market is saturated with low-cost labor and suffers from deflationary pressures, making it nearly impossible to turn a profit. Foreign markets offer vastly higher prices and profitability for the same technology.
By deploying disruptive AI technologies overseas, China may be strategically externalizing the negative consequences, such as job displacement and social unrest. This allows the country to reap the economic and developmental benefits of a leading AI sector while other nations bear the immediate social costs of automation.
By being the first to deploy AI services like driverless taxis in countries without existing regulations, China can establish its technology as the de facto global standard. This first-mover advantage could force later entrants, including American companies, to conform to Chinese-defined protocols, shifting technological influence away from the U.S.
The US-Iran conflict cycle demonstrates that when neither side can achieve a decisive military or economic victory, and both are unwilling to compromise, the result is a protracted stalemate. Limited strikes and sanctions inflict pain but fail to force capitulation, leading to an endless loop of low-grade warfare and failed diplomacy.