[fraze]

I guess if I want to be technically correct I should call them an emerging "great" power.

The last time there were multiple great powers in the world (Britain, Germany, Japan, US, Russia) was WWII.

After the war, there were only two great powers until the fall of the soviet union when there was one.

We are still in a uni-polar world with the US having a significant advantage against any other country in defense spending (read: more guns and better technology) and the ability to rapidly project force anywhere on the planet.

Russia wants to reclaim their status as a great power but they've been hurt by sanctions since Ukraine invasion and can't win a head to head fight with the US. That's why they prefer proxy wars and electoral subterfuge.

China has been rising as great power largely on their growing economic strength as globalism moved manufacturing to China and moved large swaths of their population into the world economy. They became the 2nd biggest economy not to long ago and which has allowed them to heavily reinvest in their military (especially in things like artificial intelligence where they are extremely competitive with western tech).

It's actually a pretty big dynamic shift that has only happened in the past decade or so. Trumps presidency has accelerated some of these changes by hurting US status and destabilizing alliances.

Russia (Syria, Ukraine war, assassinations, political interference, economic warfare using oil and natural gas) and China (democratic suppression in Hong Kong and Taiwan, coalition building in South Pacific and Africa) have both been capitalizing on the power vacuums created. Oh yeah and both countries leaders installed themselves as president for life during the Trump admin.

But what the fuck do I know. Apparently I've been "smoking dick"