(Matthew 24:6-7a) “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom” .
Right now the hostility between America and China is being fuelled by the high tariffs each country is imposing on the other.
China announced last week that it will raise tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125% — the latest salvo in an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies that has rattled markets and raised fears of a global slowdown.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has paused import taxes for other countries, he has raised tariffs on China and they now total 145%.
Having said this it would seem that a larger problem is looming on the horizon for the world’s two greatest super powers.
According to an article online it was reported…
“The Chinese Communist Party is the founding and only ruling party of the People’s Republic of China.
Hence, all Chinese companies directly support the CCP’s priorities and ambitions to replace the United States as the world’s leading superpower. This plan obviously has little that might be good for the US, its national security, or its interests abroad.
China has openly been pursuing a policy of threatening to take over pro-Western neighbours such as Taiwan, the Philippines, South Korea, the Solomon Islands, India and Japan.
In addition, Chinese warships have reportedly been invading Australian airspace and sailing alarmingly close to Australia.
The CCP has also recently been trying to make it a “new normal” to have around Taiwan drills that at any time could turn into combat.”
It has become increasingly clear that China’s plan to take over Taiwan and other neighbours is a question not of “if” but “when.” It is therefore crucial to understand that there is no private sector in China.
At present the United States of America are already engaged in a war with the Houthis in Yemen, and if negotiations with Iran over dismantling their nuclear sites fails, then there is no doubt that both the Americans and the Israelis will take them out.
Added to this mix, is the fact that Iran has been dancing “the military two-step” with China and Russia, both adversaries of the United States.
Of course the United States of America have already been involved with conflicts in the Middle-East which saw the demise of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya overthrown by rebels backed by US forces.
However, if America moves against Iran while still in a fire fight with Yemen we may well see China make its move in the South Pacific in light of the fact that the United States might not have the where with all to have “a face off” with China while waging a war in the Middle-East.
While the possibility exists that America may become immersed in a much larger conflict with the Islamic world China is planning to expand its ‘empire’ and ongoing influence throughout the South Pacific.
In another online report it stated; “According to the Lowy Institute, from 2008 to 2022, China committed $10.6 billion in “total development finance” to the Pacific island states.
Of this amount, only $4.5 billion has so far been spent. In contrast, over the same period, the United States committed $4.4 billion and spent $3.4 billion.
It is important to note that while these figures may appear to be large, they are dwarfed by Australia, which committed $20.6 billion and spent $18.8 billion in the region.
Beijing’s aspirations are large and, when coupled with its official assertion that the South Pacific is the part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, they appear to be part of a perceived Chinese “Long Game.”
China, which has the largest navy in the world by hull count with more than 370 vessels, is expanding its global military reach and presence in the South Pacific Ocean, challenging America’s naval dominance as they are jostling for influence in the region.
Where does Australia fit into this scenario? How might China’s “long game” to control the South Pacific and the South China seaways come to fruition?
Last month saw leaders in Australia and New Zealand scrambling to deal with Chinese naval vessels conducting live fire drills in the seas between the two countries.
The Australian Prime Minister did not seem to be too alarmed about this Chinese naval exercise.
The Political leaders from both countries emphasized that China didn’t breach international law, but said the warships should have given more notice before conducting live fire exercises, a rather ‘lame duck’ response!
Back in June last year the Chinese premier Li Qiang, China’s top-ranked official after President Xi Jinping, visited Australia and was given a ceremonial salute in Canberra marked with a cannon salute followed by an inspection of the guard of honour before signing the visitors’ book.
Afterwards, in the lavish celebration in Canberra, the Prime Minister of Australia proposed a toast to the Chinese premier extolling the virtues of Australia’s relationship with China!
During the ‘ceremony’ a Chinese journalist who had seen and tasted China’s despotic policies sought to see the proceedings but was blocked from seeing by ‘heavyweights’ that did not want to see or hear from her. What did she know that those ‘celebrating’ didn’t?
One might ask “Is Australia being “sold down the river?”
Many years ago now a speaker who had visited China said that when he was visiting a primary school in China he happened to notice on a wall in one of the classrooms a map of Australia coloured completely in red. When he asked what this was he was told that this was the map of “The New China.”
In Australia our present Labor government is leaning heavily towards a socialist governmental system with digital ID’s and facial recognition surveillance technology in place, the same as they have in China.
It would seem Australia is starting to mimic the situation described in the book 1984 written by George Orwell in relation to a Totalitarian society.
If America is engaged in a multi-front war then they may not be able to come to Australia’s aid if China launches an invasion!
From the wider global scale there is no doubt that we are hearing and seeing wars and rumours of wars as the Lord Jesus foretold would happen. In this nuclear technological age the stakes are much higher than at any other time in history.
We have already seen two major world wars on a global scale unlike any other war in past history being WW1 and WW2. According to the Book of Revelation we may well have to face WW3 (Revelation 9:13-21).
“Nation rising against nation” speaks of ethnic and civil wars within nations, while “kingdom against kingdom” describes wars between nations.
Now notice what the Lord Jesus also says; “but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
The end of course is speaking of the end of this present age.
Added to this, He is telling His faithful followers, not just the apostles in his time, but extending it to all who will follow Him down through history even to the present day, not to be alarmed because these calamities must happen before He returns.
The time is rapidly approaching when political leaders and their respective nations will be in turmoil at what is coming upon this world.
The unbelievers in the world at every level of society will be increasingly alarmed at such portentous events transpiring on a global scale racked with wars, rumours of wars, famines, earthquakes and plagues.
Despite these calamities our Lord Jesus is telling us as His blood redeemed followers not to be anxious, but to stand up straight and not to buckle over at the knees with fear, and to lift up our eyes heavenwards with expectant faith because our redemption is at hand and will not be delayed! (Luke 21:26-28).
