Editor's note: Maitreya Bhakal is an Indian commentator who writes about China, India, the U.S. and global issues. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Some nations love to destroy, while others love to create. And few nations make their policy preferences – and differences – clearer than the U.S. and China.

Since WWII, the United States' record of invasions, bombings and killings is unmatched. The U.S. and its allies had dropped more than 7.5 million tonnes of bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia between 1965 and 1975, twice as much as the number of bombs dropped on Europe and Asia during World War II. It remains the largest aerial bombardment in history. In the last 20 years alone, the U.S. and its allies have bombed West Asia at the rate of 46 bombs per day. That's not a typo. It's an average of almost two bombs every hour, every single day, for 20 years.

During the Korean War, United States Air Force (USAF) and its allies destroyed nearly 85 percent of Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) buildings. Literally only two modern buildings remained standing in Pyongyang by the time the U.S. was done spreading its "values." By contrast, China's assistance to the DPRK, both during and after the war, was critical in helping the DPRK consolidate its gains and rebuild its infrastructure.

Today, as the U.S. is forced to leave Afghanistan after destroying it, China's assistance could prove equally helpful to the war-torn nation.

Savages and saviors

The Western world – particularly the U.S. – would have us believe that they are the saviors of the world and their political system is superior to others. Yet, their "aid" to the developing world often comes with harsh strings attached – not to mention strong whiffs of racial superiority and tutelage. But to hear them talk about it, without the assistance of the Western world, the rest of the globe would simply collapse in ruins.

Of course, it is the West itself that is responsible for most of the global deaths and destruction for the last 300 years. Yet, with its massive propaganda machinery and its shameless hypocrisy, it is able to, or at least try to, portray an image of sanctity and altruism.

Rules for thee, but not for me

Afghanistan was central to America's "War on Terror," America's savage campaign to bring "democracy" to the Middle East – a merciless exercise in barbarism that killed one million people and displaced 37 million. The superpower is currently being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible war crimes in Afghanistan. While it loves touting "international law" and the "rules-based order," it itself violates the same laws and rules perhaps more than any other nation. It even revoked the entry visa of an ICC prosecutor to hinder the investigation. 

The latest event to expose Western apathy was the COVID-19 pandemic. Western nations, in stark contrast to their carefully choreographed image of altruistic, selfless countries that help others in need, showed their true faces and refused to share their vaccines with the rest of the world.

Western nations attempted to wiggle out by claiming that they needed all the vaccines for themselves. They didn't. According to UNICEF, many high-income countries have already reserved enough "future" doses from manufacturers to vaccinate their entire population many times over. The "democratic" Western world would literally prefer to let surplus vaccines expire rather than share them with poorer nations. When they once created actual apartheid, they now create vaccine apartheid.

As expected, China stepped in. The rising power has so far supplied at least 500 million vaccine doses to more than 100 countries. Moreover, China's vaccine exports have not come at the cost of its own vaccination campaign. It has administered more than 1.4 billion doses at home so far. Expectedly – and amusingly – China's successes have sparked insane jealousy in the West.

The healing touch

This familiar pattern of western barbarism or apathy followed by Chinese assistance could soon be seen in Afghanistan. While the West has spent 20 years killing more than 200,000 people and mauling Afghanistan beyond recognition, China appears to stabilize it and build much-needed infrastructure.

China would hope that after the complete exit of destabilizing NATO forces, Afghanistan could clean up and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Given the proper environment and patient deal-making, China could very well be able to replicate the BRI's global success in the war-torn nation.

Afghanistan is also an observer state in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group has a meeting on July 13-14. 

With the violent superpower out of the way, China could very well help deliver to the people of Afghanistan what America promised it would.

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