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)
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivers remarks on challenges to the global economy at the Center for Global Development in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2022. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin on March 21, 2023. (Photo by Pavel Byrkin / SPUTNIK / AFP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 19, 2023. (Leah Millis/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army escorts the national flag during a flag-raising ceremony at the Tiananmen Square to celebrate New Year's Day on January 1,2023, in Beijing, China. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute