Transformation of global superpower from US to China
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
When the red flag that once flew over the Kremlin in Moscow was lowered silently on 26 December 1991, it was not just a single state that collapsed, but an era came to an end. With the disintegration of the (former) Soviet Union, the first Cold War was also buried in the pages of history. The world breathed a sigh of relief, America declared victory and the notion emerged that the chapter of ideological struggle was closed. Francis Fukuyama famously asserted that history had ended. However, as we stand in 2026 and assess the global landscape, it becomes evident that the Cold War did not truly end; it was merely a pause. The same struggles and power dynamics persist, with only the players and methods having changed. This time, China stands in the arena opposite America, a quietly rising power challenging the global order. After 1991, the US embraced China with the belief that trade would make China wealthy and that wealth would lead to democracy. China became a member of the WTO in 2001 and American factories moved to China, with everyone feeling optimistic. However, when the US was hit by an economic crisis in 2008, a new China emerged under the light of the Beijing Olympics—confident, wealthy and quietly building its naval fleet. In 2009, as the US sensed danger, Obama announced the “Asia Pivot” policy to counter China. The storyline took a pivotal turn in 2011 when, for the first time, a US defense document referred to China as a “peer competitor.” In the South China Sea, China began constructing islands. In 2012, Xi Jinping came to power, announcing initiatives like “Made in China 2025,” asserting that China would produce not just toys but also integrated circuits, AI and 5G technologies. Alarm bells were ringing in Washington. In 2017, Trump’s national security strategy formally declared that “China and Russia are revisionist powers.” That day marked the official beginning of the second Cold War. Today, there are only two significant powers militarily and econom