@Ereiam
If they want to be the ones in charge they do. China is ramping up its military spending and ambitions.
“The lavish spending increases of years past have given China the second-largest defense budget in the world behind the U.S. With 3 million troops, the world’s largest standing military has been steadily adding aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines and stealth fighters to its arsenal.
The government says most of the spending increases go toward improving pay and other conditions for troops while observers say the budget omits much of China’s spending on weaponry, most of it developed domestically. China’s military is largely designed to maintain its threat to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, although it has also grown more assertive in the South China Sea, the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and elsewhere.”
https://apnews.com/article/world-news-china-national-budgets-coronavirus-pandemic-c31cc5ca83d77506264006a5d155e299
If they stop being the big guy in the playground someone else comes along.