Beijing’s rapid military transformation and capacity to ultimately confront the US and its allies in policy and military terms was on full display recently.

Fifteen years ago, while studying in Washington, this columnist entertained a senior Australian diplomat to dinner on Tennessee Avenue in Capitol Hill. That evening the discussion turned to China’s military build-up. The official did not believe that the US helped its cause by constantly talking up China’s defence capabilities. But he also knew it had to. The Pentagon had been required by Congress since 1997 to submit an annual report on China’s military modernisation.

Over a meal of pumpkin soup, roast beef with béarnaise sauce, and finished by apple crumble with whipped cream, the Australian emissary assessed that it was all grossly overstated: “There was no chance China could gain military ascendancy over the US for at least another 30 years."

The official also strongly disagreed with a widely read essay that had been released that year by former Defence official Hugh White. White argued that the Americans had to get used to losing strategic primacy in Asia to China, and soon.

I recalled that conversation last week as images of Xi Jinping’s Second World War commemorative parade streamed across global media.

On full display was Beijing’s rapid military transformation, a challenge China obviously knew would ultimately........

© Pearls and Irritations