Beijing, March 25 -- Amidst much trumpeting of American military prowess, President Donald Trump's attack on Iran seems to have bogged down as Tehran maintains de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz. All the while, Beijing is watching how the US military is prosecuting this war, and it will doubtlessly be applying principles to its own designs on Taiwan.

On 3 March, the Chinese military's official international press account, under the handle China Military Bugle, listed five broad lessons from the Iran war: the deadliest threat is the enemy within; the costliest miscalculation is blind faith in peace; the coldest reality is the logic of superior firepower; the cruelest paradox is the illusion of victory; and the ultimate reliance is...