You're simply wrong.

Trade relations are built of mutual respect and an adherence to agreed upon rules for mutual peace and prosperity.

If one party if breaking the rules, stealing IP rights to make knock offs, underpaying their workers or using slave labor to outcompete, using banned chemicals or materials that can cause consumer to become sick or die, or any number of possible breech of the rules, then those trade relations are going to sour and conflict is much more likely to break out.

Which rules do you think benefit the US and its Allies in particular that don't benefit other nations? Not using Child slaves? Not making lead based toys? Not selling contaminated or diseased meat? Sanctioning countries that commit war crimes from the international market?

Do go on and explain the reasoning behind your statement, because the rules apply to all sides equally, and only seem to benefit those who cheat and break them.

Its about both. Trade laws exist to prevent conflicts, which can lead to war.

Sanctions are a response to conflict imposed on trade. Diplomacy can help alleviate conflict and restore trade.

The rules exist for peaceful coexistence.

It's not just the west who abides by these rules, 196 countries have agreed to obey the Geneva conventions and signed on to it, including Russia who is now breaking them.

Diplomacy is a negotiation, and these laws and treaties were not written by a single nation, or a small collection of regional nations, but by many nations found around the globe over time to ensure peace and prosperity.

> "Rules-based order" has always truly meant "a world order in which the USA and its close allies get to make and enforce the rules."

You mean a collection of countries from around the world who have worked together diplomatically to establish a set order of rules that each have agreed to follow in order to prevent conflicts and increase mutual prosperity?

Those same rules that other nations have agreed to abide by in order to have access to this trade market, only to then break the rules and then get angry when the countries they lied to slowly stop doing business with them, while still giving them time to change their behaviors in order to maintain good relations and continued business?

God forbid lol

Still a Witcher. She dedicates her life to doing what Witcher’s do

Doesn't Ciri become a witcher? She's pretty important too.