Relishing America’s humiliation in Afghanistan, China is wasting no time translating that humiliation into a broader strategic narrative. Namely, that America cannot be trusted as an ally.

Beijing’s Global Times propaganda outlet editorialized on Monday that Washington’s “Afghan abandonment is a lesson for Taiwan’s [ruling party].” While the editorial has its oddities (for example, comparing the situation in Afghanistan to what it falsely claims was America’s betrayal of King Louis XVI), its top line is clear: The shambolic evacuation of Afghanistan “has dealt a heavy blow to the credibility and reliability of the U.S.”