The recent military parade in China and US President Donald Trump's executive order to rename the Department of Defense have created a spectre of heightened tensions between Beijing and...
The recent military parade in China and US President Donald Trump's executive order to rename the Department of Defense have created a spectre of heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington, while also raising fears about global peace and security.
These two developments have triggered a spate of accusations, with American think tanks alleging that China is seeking hegemony in global politics, while Chinese analysts accuse Washington of undermining the very rule-based order it helped establish after World War II, in collaboration with its Western allies - a system the communist state now claims to uphold.
The executive order renaming the US Department of Defense to the Department of War has drawn widespread international attention, prompting debate over the motives behind the move, which may ultimately stoke further apprehensions about an America led by perhaps the most unpredictable president in its history. The renaming is not only alarming for China but has also raised concerns in other countries, including Denmark, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and Cuba.
It appears the American administration seeks to dispel the notion that its power is waning, while also signaling that the US is prepared to go to great lengths to safeguard its interests. The White House stated that the term 'Department of War' sends a stronger "message of readiness and resolve" than 'Department of Defense'. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explained, "We're going to go on the offence, not just on defence. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality".
This declaration comes at a time when relations between the communist nation and the world's largest military power are already strained, due to US tariffs and a host of other contentious issues. It seems China is aligning itself with other nations to counter what it sees as an increasingly hegemonic US, which appears to be resorting to coercive tactics in international affairs - creating the perception that the world's second-largest economy is plotting against the global superpower. The Chinese leadership has frequently alluded to this intimidating posture by Washington, sometimes without naming the US directly. On September 3, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated this concern, stating that China "is a great nation that will never be intimidated by any bullies."
Beijing delivered a pointed message to such bullies through a striking military parade, featuring intercontinental ballistic missiles, robotic war machines, and goose-stepping troops. This display fueled conspiracy theories about China's alleged hegemonic ambitions, with many think tanks labeling the communist nation a significant threat to US interests. This may have prompted Trump to launch a barrage of criticism, accusing China of conspiring against America. In a sarcastic Truth Social post, Trump urged China's leader to extend his "warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America".
Some were quick to endorse Trump's narrative. "Certainly, Xi Jinping is conspiring against the United States", said Isaac Stone Fish, CEO of Strategy Risks, a New York-based consultancy firm. "Beijing wants the US to reduce its presence in Asia and to yield to China's dominance in the region", he added, "and Beijing is working with countries in the region and around the globe to actively undermine US power".
Critics argue that Xi is far more explicit in his ambition to reduce US influence than former leader Deng Xiaoping, who favoured concealing China's strength and biding its time. They contend that Beijing is now bolder in challenging stakeholders in the South China Sea and appears increasingly prepared to annex Taiwan by force. These critics also claim that China is ensnaring developing nations in debt traps to advance its geopolitical objectives.
Chinese analysts, however, reject such accusations, asserting that China advocates a vision of global governance rooted in multipolarity, with a reformed UN at its core. They strongly deny claims of hegemonic intent, arguing instead that China promotes a win-win model based on free trade and globalisation.
Pro-China commentators view the US government's revival of the term 'Department of War' as part of a broader campaign to purge supporters of 'globalism' from the American political establishment. They argue that postwar globalist enthusiasm for involvement in European and Asia-Pacific affairs has left the US unable to secure victory in a single war over the past 25 years - a key factor, in their view, behind the country's current domestic and international crises.
The Global Times, a Chinese newspaper, commented, "From 1789 to 1947, the US 'War Department' expanded the country from a narrow stretch along the Atlantic into a powerful nation spanning two oceans, through one military victory after another. Native Americans, Mexicans, and others were either conquered or forced to cede vast tracts of land. Under US intimidation, nations like Russia, France, and Britain were gradually compelled to withdraw from the Americas. The current US administration believes that back then, America enjoyed strong internal unity and a 'surging' nationalist spirit - and that today's loss of values and soaring national debt are the result of 'globalists'. To win wars again, the administration believes, the country must rename the Department of Defense and resurrect the legacy of US military 'glory'."
Beyond these allegations and counter-allegations are more than seven billion people who believe that the two superpowers should not seek to impress the world with displays of military might or ignite a dangerous arms race in outer space. Instead, they should focus their attention on addressing the plight of the global majority. Armed conflicts are already raging across various regions, causing mass casualties, displacements, and infrastructure destruction.
The two superpowers should work together to extinguish the flames of war in Ukraine and Gaza, rather than manufacturing another potential conflict - especially one between the two most heavily armed nations on earth. They should also support the struggling UN, which has been financially weakened, particularly during Trump's previous tenure.
Many across the Global South believe that China is falling into a trap set by the US. They argue that the US brought down the Soviet Union by dragging it into an arms race, which ultimately devastated its economy. These observers believe that Beijing may now be treading a similar path. They warn that if China becomes entangled in military build-up and saber-rattling, its economic development - long a thorn in the side of the American elite - could suffer significantly.
Others argue that the world has already witnessed enough military rivalry between global powers. They suggest that if any nation aspires to claim moral leadership, it must first address poverty, which afflicts over four billion people; combat environmental degradation that threatens humanity's survival; and safeguard the international institutions that, despite their flaws, have helped prevent a third world war. A constructive rivalry between China and America, one that serves humanity, is what the world truly needs today.