Indiscriminate U.S. tariffs have triggered global uproar, drawing a stern response from China. The tariffs have also raised concerns in Malaysia, where CGTN editor Li Chaoran visited the country's first university funded by the Malaysian-Chinese community. There, students study the classical Chinese prose On Six States — a historical analysis of how six states during the Warring States Period (475–221 BC) were gradually conquered by the State of Qin around 230–210 BC. The author used the past to critique his present, condemning leaders who repeatedly made concessions to their rivals. How might this ancient essay inspire Southeast Asian countries in navigating their relations with the United States today?