Chinese military personnel take part in a rehearsal ahead of a parade commemorating the eightieth anniversary of victory in World War II in Beijing on August 20, 2025. (Pedro Pardo via Getty Images)
Senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
US Commerce Secretary Howard William Lutnick and Japanese Minister for Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa shake hands on on September 4, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
Arleigh Burke–class guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) sails in formation during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise on July 28, 2022. (DVIDS)
A formation of Dongfeng-41 nuclear missiles takes part in a military parade celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing on October 1, 2019. (Xia Yifang via Getty Images)
Senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
A microchip and Taiwanese flag displayed on a phone screen are seen in this multiple exposure illustration photo on April 10, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki via Getty Images)
Xi Jinping is welcomed by Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the Palace of Yamamah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 8, 2022. (Royal Court of Saudi Arabia via Getty Images)
Two US made Black Hawk helicopters fly during the military Han Guang drill at the Taoyuan International Airport on July 26, 2023. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)
Xi Jinping and Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud co-sign the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on December 8, 2022. (Xinhua via Getty Images)
China's foreign minister Qin Gang attends a press conference during the First Session of the 14th National People's Congress at Media Center on March 7, 2023, in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang via Getty Images)
A man walks past China's and Pakistani national flags installed on the constitution avenue ahead of the visit of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, in Islamabad on July 30, 2023. (Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images)