Yes it is quite surprising. There is actually a simple way to obtain a force between two objects that does not decrease with distance: simply connect them with

Yes it is quite surprising. There is actually a simple way to obtain a force between two objects that does not decrease with distance: simply connect them with an (idealized) string. And it is indeed not entirely inaccurate to say that the strong force produces some kind of quantum mechanical string between two quarks. Historically the study of exactly these strings for the strong force led to the idea of string theory. Only later was it realized that it can be useful as a theory of quantum gravity as well.