Consistent messaging inspires confidence and evokes respect. Self-respect enables you to talk straight. True national pride and a commitment to the country empower you to take the bull by the horns – without fear or favour. This also helps in articulating your priorities – regardless of what the other side thinks. This is what President Xi Jinping did to his American counterpart in their phone call on February 4. The same day China's Ambassador in Islamabad, Jiang Zaidong delivered another example of the typical Chinese candour and clarity. Let us first turn to the Xi-Trump phone call.

"It is always right to do a good thing, however small, and always wrong to do a bad thing, however small," Xi said in what came across as a tutorial in morality and politics. Wrong doesn't become harmless just because it is small. Principle decides the right or wrong not the size of it. Corruption, cruelty, injustice, lies, selfish conduct are all immoral – however small.

Xi's guarded talk was an indirect recall of some of the bitter realities the world has witnessed since the return of Donald Trump to the White House – multiple violations of the WTO rules by the US since April last year (unilateral tariffs), breach of the United Nations Charter in January 2026 (Venezuelan President Madura's abduction and seizure of that country's oil assets), and US withdrawal from dozens of international organisations.

These unilateral actions are fundamentally at odds with China's worldview (multilateralism,........

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