According to Robert Kaplan – a senior advisor of the worldwide political risk consultancy firm known as the Eurasia Group – the United States must make room for China’s rising military in the Asia-Pacific region despite that such a move may further destabilize the region. Speaking at a conference in Singapore, Kaplan noted that China’s military has been increasingly exerting its presence in the region through such efforts as the construction of man-made islands to house military bases in the South China Sea, and other initiatives designed to broaden the reach of the Chinese military. Kaplan indicated that the only question that remains is “how much room” the U.S. must be willing to concede to China since the rise of China’s military “cannot be denied.”
U.S. Withdraw Could Result in Cyber Attacks
Since the U.S withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific partnership in 2017 China has increased their efforts at what they call the belt and road initiative that is designed to develop overland and maritime trade routes stretching into Russia, Europe, and Africa. In turn, the U.S. has increased its spending on technology and infrastructure in the region. However, since the U.S. does not have a territorial ambition in Asia many see the U.S. efforts as a stabilizing influence. Yet, China has increased their spending on technological initiatives such as the development of a 5G wireless network. China has outspent the U.S. by over 24 billion dollars in this area over recent years and many believe this could also be fueling the U.S. – China trade war. Kaplan is fearful that such activities could lead to “massive cyber attacks on a scale which we have not seen so far. That could elicit a conventional military response in some way, like taking down a country's electric grid, or a stock market for a few days.”
Relevant Bible Passages
These are the types of scenarios that many believe may be predicated in the pages of Scripture. For example, many believe that China will take advantage of a destabilized European / Middle East region after the battle of Armageddon to invade nations to the west of China in conjunction with the forces of the Antichrist (Revelation 16:12-16). Interestingly, the infrastructure China is trying to develop with its belt and road initiative could help facilitate this. Additionally, the Bible mentions an army during the end times comprised of 200 million troops (Revelation 9:16). The magnitude of this army leads many to look toward China as being the most likely candidate to field an army of that size. As the nation of China continues to impose its military presence to the degree that experts like Kaplan are warning the U.S., we should be in prayer over this situation.