24 July 2015 - strategy

The U.S. has two land borders and tries to get along with its neighbors, with reasonable success. China has 14 land borders and has gone out of its way to provoke disputes across some. The U.S. is the most self-sufficient and least trade dependent of any major economy, and favors free trade. China remains dependent on trade for economic growth, but feels free to do things like temporarily embargo rare earth exports to Japan on the theory that it hurts them more than us.

Conclusion: Strategy is the art of doing the opposite of what your situation suggests.