The Dawn of a New World Order

The thunderous roar of jets over Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025, wasn’t just marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end—it was announcing the arrival of a new global order. China’s meticulously choreographed military parade, attended by 50,000 spectators and watched by millions worldwide, served as both a showcase of military might and a diplomatic masterstroke that may well define the next chapter of international relations.

The most telling moment wasn’t the display of hypersonic missiles or nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, impressive as they were. It was the sight of Xi Jinping standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un—three authoritarian leaders publicly united for the first time, sending an unmistakable message to Washington and its allies: the era of unchallenged American hegemony is over.

The Arsenal on Display: Substance Behind the Spectacle

What China revealed was both magnificent and deeply concerning. For the first time, Beijing displayed its complete nuclear triad—land, sea, and air-based nuclear delivery systems—including the debut of the DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of reaching any target on Earth. The parade featured advanced hypersonic weapons like the YJ-19 anti-ship missiles, and the new CJ-1000 cruise missile, designed specifically to penetrate American naval defences.

Yet the most fearsome developments weren’t on parade but in the data. China’s nuclear arsenal has more than doubled from 300 warheads in 2020 to approximately 600 today, with Pentagon projections showing it could reach 1,500 by 2035—approaching parity with the United States and Russia. This represents the largest nuclear buildup in Chinese history, supported by 350 new missile silos and multiple mobile launcher bases.

The implications are staggering. For decades, nuclear deterrence operated on a bilateral U.S.-Russia framework. America now faces the prospect of managing a three-way nuclear competition—a fundamentally different and more complex strategic environment.

The “Axis of Upheaval”: More Than Symbolism

The parade crystallized what foreign policy analysts call the “Axis of Upheaval”—the growing alignment between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This isn’t merely symbolic cooperation; it represents a fundamental challenge to the Western-led international order that has prevailed since 1945.

The numbers tell the story. Combined, the Russia-China-North Korea nuclear arsenal comprises approximately 6,735 warheads, surpassing NATO’s 6,305. Economically, China’s defence spending has grown from one-sixth of America’s in 2012 to one-third today, with actual expenditures potentially reaching $471 billion annually. Meanwhile, intra-axis trade has kept sanctioned economies like Russia and Iran afloat, demonstrating the bloc’s economic resilience.

More critically, military cooperation has accelerated dramatically since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. North Korea has provided artillery shells and troops to Moscow, Iran supplies advanced drone technology, and China offers dual-use goods and economic lifelines. What began as bilateral partnerships is evolving into multilateral coordination that amplifies each member’s capabilities.

Strategic Implications: The End of Unipolar Dominance

This axis represents more than military cooperation—it’s an ideological alternative to Western liberalism. United by opposition to U.S. global leadership, these nations are constructing parallel institutions, alternative payment systems, and competing governance models. Xi Jinping’s call for “a more just and reasonable global governance system” isn’t diplomatic rhetoric; it’s a blueprint for reshaping international relations.

The strategic implications are profound. American defence planners can no longer assume they’ll face individual adversaries. Future conflicts may involve coordinated support from multiple axis members, complicating military planning and resource allocation. The recent parade demonstrated that China has moved beyond seeking accommodation within the existing system to actively building an alternative one.

The Constraints: Why This Isn’t the New Warsaw Pact

Yet this axis faces significant limitations. Unlike the ideologically coherent Soviet bloc, these nations are bound primarily by opposition rather than shared vision. China and Russia compete for influence in Central Asia, while historical tensions between Beijing and Pyongyang persist despite their alliance. Each member maintains different levels of integration with the global economy, creating vulnerabilities to coordinated Western pressure.

Moreover, none of China’s advanced weapons have been tested in actual combat, unlike Western systems proven in Iraq, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Technological advancement doesn’t automatically translate to military effectiveness, and China’s rapid modernization may mask underlying operational challenges.

America’s Response: Adapting to Multipolarity

The United States cannot respond to this challenge with Cold War-era thinking. The new axis operates in a globalized world where economic interdependence creates both vulnerabilities and constraints. Rather than seeking to contain China as it did the Soviet Union, America must adapt to managing competition within an interconnected international system.

This requires strengthening existing alliances while building new partnerships. The QUAD, AUKUS, and enhanced NATO cooperation represent important steps, but America must also engage the Global South—nations that increasingly see themselves as stakeholders in a multipolar rather than Western-dominated world.

Militarily, the Pentagon must prioritize technologies that counter China’s specific advantages: hypersonic weapons, anti-satellite capabilities, and integrated air defences. Economically, America must offer compelling alternatives to Chinese Belt and Road initiatives while reducing critical supply chain dependencies.

The Historical Moment

We are witnessing a transformation as significant as the end of the Cold War, but in reverse. Instead of unipolarity emerging from bipolarity, we’re seeing multipolarity emerge from American dominance. China’s military parade wasn’t just displaying weapons—it was announcing Beijing’s readiness to lead this transition.

The sight of Xi hosting not just Putin and Kim, but also Iran’s President Pezeshkian, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif, and Field Marshal Munir alongside leaders from across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, represents more than authoritarian solidarity—it demonstrates China’s success in building a genuinely global alternative to Western leadership. The inclusion of Pakistan’s military leadership particularly signals Beijing’s confidence in expanding this coalition into South Asia, directly challenging India’s regional position and America’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Looking Ahead: Managing the New Reality

The world order that emerged from World War II served humanity well for eight decades, delivering unprecedented prosperity and technological advancement. But that order was always dependent on American power and willingness to maintain it. As China challenges that dominance with military capability, economic heft, and diplomatic skill, the international community must adapt to a more complex reality.

The September 2025 military parade will be remembered as the moment China announced its arrival as a true global superpower—not merely economically, but militarily and diplomatically. The weapons on display were impressive, but the real message was political: China is no longer rising; it has risen, and it’s prepared to reshape the world accordingly.

For India, this represents a moment of strategic reckoning. New Delhi must urgently assess the evolving scenarios this new axis presents and develop comprehensive response mechanisms to safeguard its national interests. A detailed scenario-building exercise examining India’s strategic options in this transformed landscape will be essential to navigate the challenges ahead.

The question isn’t whether this multipolar world will emerge—it’s already here. The question is whether it will be managed peacefully or through the kind of great power competition that defined the early 20th century. China’s parade offered a glimpse of the stakes involved, and the world would do well to take notice.