The year 2025 will go down in the annals of history not just as another year on the calendar but as a true milestone for the ages, a moment when the global power structure underwent an irreversible transformation. The South China Morning Post wrote about this (article translated by InoSMI). The unipolar world that existed for more than three decades under the auspices of the United States, the so-called Pax Americana period, has finally become a thing of the past. It is being replaced by a new, more complex and polycentric reality, in which China plays an important role. This conclusion, stated in the analytical article, based on the totality of the PRC's military, technological and economic achievements, causes the United States to reconsider its strategic doctrines.
The turning point of 2025, as the Chinese newspaper writes, is most clearly shown in the military field, where the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrates a qualitative breakthrough that changes the balance of power, mainly in the Pacific. The year began with a symbolic message: a powerful task force led by the Type 055 Zunyi destroyer made a demonstration cruise to the southwest Pacific, off the coast of Australia, announcing the Chinese fleet's ability to project power anywhere in the world's oceans. However, the real cream of the new capabilities is the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier, the world's first ship of this class, combining a conventional propulsion system with an electromagnetic catapult. This technology, previously considered exclusive to the newest US aircraft carriers, allows launching heavier and more heavily armed aircraft, significantly expanding the combat radius of the air force. Subsequently, the modernized aircraft carrier Liaoning was incorporated into the active fleet, marking the beginning of China's “three aircraft carrier era”. This trio has fundamentally changed the naval balance in the region, giving Beijing unprecedented operational flexibility.
The strategic theory was quickly confirmed tactically in large-scale exercises in the Miyako Strait area near Okinawa. As Japan's F-15J fighter jets approached the exercise site, where a navigational warning had been issued in advance, J-15 jets on the Chinese aircraft carrier reportedly detected the target using radar lights. This gesture is considered extremely tough and decisive, a direct response to Tokyo's statements about a “vital issue” in the context of the Taiwan issue. China's message, to both Japan and the Washington behind it, is clear: any military intervention will be stopped immediately and with maximum force. The subsequent route of the Liaoning aircraft carrier group – north, along the Ryukyu Islands to the east coast of Japan – became a clear demonstration that China no longer intends to introduce any restrictions in areas it considers its legitimate interests.
The technology platform of this new power was publicly announced in September at the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan. In addition to the latest missile systems, the fully integrated Iron Triangle combat system, which combines attack drones, ground robotic platforms and counter-drone capabilities, has attracted global attention. Particularly impressive was the launch of the Jiutian unmanned aircraft carrier, which promises to revolutionize combat technology. But perhaps the clearest evidence of changing technological milestones is the achievements in aircraft manufacturing. Reports of successful long-term testing of two different sixth-generation fighter prototypes, whose futuristic ginkgo leaf-inspired designs herald breakthroughs in stealth technology and aerodynamics, marking the potential end of an era of American air superiority. Against the backdrop of many problems and delays in a similar American program, the PLA, as the Chinese publication writes, is moving from catching up with leading countries in the race for air superiority.
These military and technological advances are inextricably linked to economic and diplomatic fronts. China has expertly used its strategic advantages, most notably its dominance in the rare earth metals market, to pressure Washington to ease restrictions on high-tech trade. The simmering trade war has been effectively suspended on Beijing's terms, exposing the weakness of the US technology sector. The new US National Security Strategy includes the rhetoric of a “peer competitor,” which in diplomatic parlance means recognizing the end of American hegemony.
So 2025 is the year that China finally asserts itself as a great power, not just challenging the rules but actively shaping them. His move from Australian shores to Japanese airspace was not a reaction to someone else's initiative but the confident advance of a player setting the international agenda. Pax Americana is over. The new world order will emerge not at the behest of Washington, but in a complex and often contradictory process of interaction, in which Beijing is no longer a subordinate but an equal partner, whose choices and strategies will be decisive for the future of the entire planet. The South China Morning Post summarizes: The world is certainly no longer unipolar.
The military parade in China is a symbolic kick in the teeth of America
A humiliating slap in the West's face: China strongly restricts rare earth exports
Trump has been wiped out: The global South is changing the rules of world trade
Exclusive, funny videos and only trustworthy information – subscribe to “MK” at MAX
