China and Russia are facing a new round of finger pointing since their double veto of a UN resolution threatening to impose new sanctions on Syria Thursday.
The US-led West loudly touts slogans of democracy and human rights during their grand strategic deployment in the Middle East. But the key target is still their geopolitical interests in this region.
In comparison, by sticking to its long-held stance on Syria, China is holding on not only to its own diplomatic principles, but also basic prerequisites for world peace and justice.
Western politicians are trying to isolate China and Russia by insisting that the two are making the wrong choice. However, the Chinese should stay cool-headed and see the essence of China's attitude.
The UN resolution, citing the seventh chapter of the UN Charter, laid a foundation for military intervention in Syria. This was what China vetoed.
China also opposes the UN Security Council openly picking sides in Syria's internal conflict. It insists that the Syrians should seek a political solution through their own negotiations.
This is a bottom line that must be upheld so as to prevent the West from overthrowing any regime at will.
With their massive soft power, Western organizations can easily besiege China and Russia through verbal assaults.
However, they don't really have the power to launch an actual retaliation against the two countries.
In the future, Western politics and public opinion may exert even more pressure on China.
We have no choice but to face up to all kinds of complexities in international politics.
But as long as our public unites and collectively supports our diplomatic policy, external forces will not dare to underestimate the policy's strength.
The West may think China's public opinion on issues including Syria, under the influence of universal values preached by the West, can sway China's diplomatic stance.
This is a misjudgment. The majority of Chinese oppose military intervention against a small country.
A few Western diplomats or correspondents are naïvely taking Weibo messages as a reflection of popular public opinion. But individual opinions, assisted by technology, can indeed wield a much bigger influence on a country's diplomacy.
Diplomacy involves a high degree of professionalism. It is difficult to make the foreign policies thoroughly understood by the public.
To win over trust from ordinary people, the media has to have a full understanding of the nation's interests. Of course, the credibility of the government is also crucial.
The West can always delude a few, but it cannot deceive the majority of the Chinese people. The insincerity of the West is exposed by the sheer pursuit of their own interests.