On September 3, 2025, China flexed its military muscle and might, in what was seen as an open challenge to the United States’ unilateral hegemony over global affairs. The historic parade the Chinese government organised at the Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, saw the presence of the heads of about 25 countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un were noticed prominently.
While China is today posing a direct challenge to the US, during WWII, it was part of the allies which included the US, Russia, United Kingdom and France. Japan, which is now aligned with the US, was the main enemy that time after it had attacked China in WWII.
During the recent military parade, the Chinese displayed high-end sophisticated military and defence hardware for the first time. The massive weaponry with devastating capability, which can hit targets anywhere across the world, was aimed apparently at reaffirming China’s military prowess. As was extensively reported, China established its capability of being able to strike from land, sea and air.
After the simultaneous collapse of the USSR and Communism in Eastern Europe, the decades-long Cold War came to an end. The United States of America emerged as the lone ‘Superpower’. It took about three decades for Russia under Vladimir Putin to reemerge at the global stage as a strong and powerful country, but certainly not again as a ‘Superpower’.
America continued to remain the lone ‘Superpower’. Russia again started flexing its muscle by occupying territories of the countries, which were earlier part of the USSR. Prior to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia occupied parts of Georgia as well. While in Ukraine, the attack was in reaction to the country's plans to join NATO, in Georgia the areas occupied by Russia were already controlled by the local separatist groups. Russia maintains military and political control over these territories.
While Russia remains restricted within these territories, the US has marked and maintained its presence globally. Practically, Russia is no match to the US when it comes to global influence, although militarily it may not lag far behind.
As the US remained unchallenged, China gradually stepped forward. Last Wednesday’s “military show” was the declaration of that challenge on record that the US can no longer claim itself to be the sole and exclusive “superpower” in the world. On top of that was the presence of Putin as also Kim. Putin seems to be “gladly” projecting China as a challenger to the US.
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When Russia was the sole challenger to the US, the latter propped up China as a “counterweight” to Russia for a long time. In the process, China moved so fast and so far, that it became a challenger to the US itself. While the US indeed remains far ahead of China in every way, whether economically or militarily, yet the US cannot ignore China for long.
The US remains massively dependent on Chinese imports. The US trade deficit with China in 2024 was about $295 billion. While the US imports goods worth about $438 billion from China, it exports about $ 144 billion worth of goods to China.
And that is the only edge China has over the US. Thanks to Donald Trump, who has alienated almost all the friends and allies of the US, some of them are gravitating towards China, though that may remain only a temporary phenomenon. Even when it comes to choosing between China and the US for most countries, it will always be the US despite and in spite of Trump.
While the “military muscle flexing” by China definitely had global aims, it also had domestic compulsions for self-reassurance and morale boosting. The Chinese economy is not doing very well. The growth rate is slowing down. There is massive unemployment. Both global and domestic demands have slowed down. China for the first time in so many years is seeing an economic downturn. Added to that are the tariffs imposed by Trump, which will substantially hit the Chinese industry. China, as already mentioned, exports goods worth about $438 billion to the US.
China, in fact, did not need to convey any message. Its military might and strength is already well-recognised and acknowledged. As Trump rightly said, China and its allies wanted him to watch the military parade and he actually did, China’s purpose was solved with the display of its powerful arsenal.
But where does it stand in comparison to America? Still far behind. In fact, in terms of military power and strength, China comes third after the US and Russia.
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Even in economic terms, the US is far ahead of China. While the size of the US economy is $30 trillion, that of the Chinese economy is $19 trillion. Also on social indices parameters, the US remains far ahead of China and not to speak of individual liberty and freedom, which hardly exist in China.
But China has announced itself on the global stage more forcefully, with at least 25 countries marking their presence at the military parade. While Russian and North Korean leaders were noticed prominently, there were leaders also from countries like Pakistan, Iran, Nepal, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Cambodia and others who attended the military parade.
While China definitely has long-term ambitions of competing with the US, right now it appears to be keen on emerging as the sole regional power in the far east, particularly in Asia Pacific. Besides, its aims and intentions about Taiwan are quite well-known, which should be of grave concern, to the US in particular. If and when China decides to attack Taiwan, as it has often made its intentions clear, the US will have little choice but to protect it, no matter how much Trump may dislike “to fight other people’s wars”.
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