While the past several weeks have been tumultuous in American history, now would be a prime time for our foreign enemies to make aggressive moves. Sure enough, China is not sitting back and doing nothing.

Over the past few days, China has brokered a deal between Fatah (West Bank) and Hamas (Gaza) to unify their governments. This agreement is dubbed the Beijing Declaration. Fatah is the faction of the Palestinian Authority that the Biden administration is wanting to take over the running of Gaza.

This has always been a bad idea, but as Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz pointed out, “Instead of rejecting terrorism, [Fatah leader] Mahmoud Abbas embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face. In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas’ rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel’s security will remain solely in Israel’s hands.”

Most media outlets reporting on the Beijing Declaration are quick to point out that just because both sides have agreed to unify doesn’t mean it will actually happen. However, China did successfully negotiate peace between Saudi Arabia and Iran last year.

What is really behind this peace-brokering? According to The Wall Street Journal, “China enjoys coordinating anti-American forces and disrupting U.S. diplomacy. Since Hamas has proved effective at sparking wars that stress the U.S. regional alliance system, China will help keep Hamas in business.”

This is not the only aggressive move that China has made in recent days. The Chinese own 60% of a new deep water port in Peru called the Port of Chancay. The Journal further articulates the attack on U.S. interests this represents economically: “In February, U.S. Army analyst Ryan Berg spelled out some of the security concerns about Chancay, including the possibility that China could use it for military logistics, as a navy port of call or to ‘track data on trade flows, which could open the door to economic coercion against the host countries as well as other third-party countries.’”

Finally, just before President Joe Biden addressed the nation last night to officially declare that he was stepping down from the 2024 race, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) dispatched several American fighter jets to intercept Russian Tu-95 “Bear” bombers and Chinese H-6 bombers flying off the coast of Alaska.

Chinese and Russian forces are notorious for messing with international airspace and waters to provoke the West. This incident, however, was unique. This is the first time Chinese and Russian forces have flown a joint patrol off the coast of Alaska. Coincidence? Not at all. Our enemies smell blood in the water, and America’s turmoil is a prime opportunity to cause international mischief.