War games. Not funny.

"The 2023 Budget will see China's defence spending during the year rise to 1.55 trillion yuan or roughly  $225 billion. This is 7.2 percent higher than the 2022 budget." ET. "However,... the US Department of Defense noted that China's real military spending might now be around 1.1 to 2 times higher than stated in its official budget." "In 2023, the PLA is expected to commission more advanced warplanes including J-20 stealth fighter jets and J-16 multirole fighter jets," and "conduct sea trial for the country's third aircraft carrier, the electromagnetic catapults-equipped Fujian." India's defence budget is expected to be $72.6 billion in 2023-24. "When Saudi Arabia and Iran buried the hatchet in Beijing..., it was a game changing moment both for a Middle East shaped by their decades-old rivalry, and for China's growing influence in the oil-rich region." CNN. "In retrospect, Beijing  has been poised to broker the conflict-ridden Middle East's latest diplomatic breakthrough for years, simultaneously underscoring the US' diminishing regional influence." The US is being seen as a bully and a coward by the world. "A former US Marine badly injured in Afghanistan has described the withdrawal in 2021 as a 'catastrophe' in testimony before Congress." BBC. On 26 August 2021, two suicide bombers killed 13 US soldiers and 170 Afghan civilians at Kabul airport. "Sgt Vargas-Andrews testified that he and another US Marine had received intelligence about the bombing before it occurred, and that he had spotted the suspect in the crowd. He said he had alerted his supervisors and requested permission to act but had never received it." The dollar's dominance in international trade may diminish. "After a coalition opposed to the war imposed an oil price cap on Russia on Dec 5, Indian customers have paid for most Russian oil in non-dollar currencies, including the United Arab Emirates dirham and more recently in Russian rouble, multiple oil trading and banking sources said." However, it is not one way for China. "With a combination of militant attacks and economic instability forcing China to limit its activities in Pakistan, the United States (US) is trying to step into the vacuum with a big financial package." Firstpost. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch freedom fighters have attacked Chinese nationals working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific, "The leaders of US, UK and Australia have unveiled new details of their plan to create a fleet of next generation nuclear-powered submarines. Under the Aukus agreement, Australia will first receive at least three nuclear-powered submarines from the US." BBC. That may neutralize the threat of the new aircraft carrier. China and the US are playing games with lethal weapons. One mistake and war could break out. Behaving like criminal gangs is dangerous. For everyone.