With so much focus on how Americans and Afghanis are responding to Joe Biden’s horrifically mismanaged pullout from Afghanistan, lost in the background is how our adversaries are responding. With reports of over 10,000 Americans stranded on the ground and videos of people bum-rushing airplanes (with some later falling to their deaths), the embarrassment for the United States is palpable.

It’s also incredibly dangerous, and China is busy making moves in the face of Biden’s profound weakness and incompetence.

President Xi Jinping and his boys are just laughing at us.

CHINA MILITARY SAYS LAUNCHES MILITARY EXERCISE IN AIR AND SEA NEAR TAIWAN

CHINA MILITARY SAYS EXERCISES ARE SOLEMN RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE AND PROVOCATIONS BY TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE FORCES – Rtrs#China #Taiwan

— Global Markets Forum (@ReutersGMF) August 17, 2021

JUST IN – China urges the U.S. to stop official contacts, arms sales to, and military ties with #Taiwan – Chinese MFA

— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) August 17, 2021

As bad as things are in Afghanistan because of Biden’s inability to plan and execute an orderly withdrawal, what possibly comes next regarding Taiwan will dwarf those issues. China has been rattling its saber since Biden took office, but the escalation of military exercises under the guise of “provocation” from Taiwan represents a further tensioning of the situation. China is setting up their excuse to attack and they have no reason to fear the United States at this point. It feels like it’s just a matter of time.

Given that, the question becomes how Biden will respond. China is capitalizing on the president’s buffoonery and making the bet that he will blink when the time comes. That’s probably a good bet, but what if he doesn’t? What if we honor our agreement and end up at war with China on their terms? The Chinese mainland is within spitting distance of Taiwan. Meanwhile, we’d be propagating another war from the other side of the globe. There’s nothing about that situation that should give you confidence, especially after the absolute idiocy that has been shown by our current military leadership.

This is why what Biden has done in Afghanistan, managing to completely bungle a withdrawal that could have gone so much better with an ounce of forethought and preparation, matters so much. It’s not just about Afghan refugees or terrorists possibly seeing a resurgence in the area. Rather, Biden’s national embarrassment has sent a signal to China, Russia, Iran, and others that we are a paper tiger, unable to even properly execute a retreat that was first announced back when Barack Obama was president.

While our military has been focused on diversity training and woke recruitment, the Chinese have been building the world’s largest navy and land army. The results of those opposing choices are becoming clear. We have a Department of Defense that thrives on failure and has made an art of it. The Chinese, by contrast, have played their cards close to the vest, building their forces, not overextending them, and preparing for a war they know is coming.

That we still have over three years left of Biden in office remains our most pressing national security issue. The current president is not a man who can stand up to China when they press the issue, and even if he attempts to, there is no reason to have confidence he can do so successfully. Dark days are ahead.