Perspective

By L. Jim Tuck

January 18, 2024

Red China in Prophecy

The Great Red Dragon, the Sleeping Giant of the east, is waking up. This great nation with 1.4 billion
people is starting to throw its weight around. China has the biggest maritime force on the globe with an inventory of about 355 vessels, according to a Defense Department report released Wednesday. They have the largest standing army in the world, 1.6 million. Their economy is growing by 5.6% per annum. Chinese President Xi wants China to be great. What do their ambitions portend for the future?

Perspective

China is methodically expanding its reach throughout the world using its monetary gain. They are investing in the subcontinent of Africa and have invested over $70 billion over the last five years, making it the continent’s largest investor with 287 projects. Since its launch at the beginning of 2020, the U.S. has invested by comparison a mere $8 billion in 300 projects in Africa, along with the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is working on $10 billion worth of deals.

In 2022 the Chinese Red Dragon’s chief 15 trading partners do 63.7% of the business with the nation, the
United States doing $582.8 billion or 16.2% of China’s total exports. Some nations are stepping up their business with China. Singapore increased its import purchases from mainland China at the fastest rate, up 47% from 2021 to 2022. In second place were importers in India, thanks to a 21.5% gain, trailed by Malaysia (up 19.1%), Australia (up 18.7%), Mexico (up 15%), Netherlands (up 14.9%), and
Thailand (up 13.2%). There were two year-over-year decliners, namely Hong Kong (down -14.7%) and the United Kingdom (down -6.3% from 2021).

An interesting point to consider is the western powers and pro-west Southeast Asian powers who make up a major part of China’s nearly $18 Trillion 2022 GDP. Financial issues play a heavy role, and to be at odds with China is a negative to maintain the status quo.

Rise of the Red Dragon

Fifty years ago, China could not have done what it is doing now. It has made magnificent advances in the
space race. Its self-built space station, also known as Tiangong, or Celestial Palace in Chinese, has been fully operational since late 2022. China plans to expand its space station to six modules from three in coming years, offering astronauts from other nations an alternative platform for near-Earth missions as the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) nears the end of its lifespan.

In the past there was only one nation in East Asia capable of commanding the respect of Asiatic nations. Only one Asian nation had proven it can lead, and that was Japan. Rising from the ash heap of World War II, Japan became one of the most industrially powerful nations on earth. Japanese products fill markets and stores of every civilized country, and especially in Southeast Asia. However, today China boasts an $18 Trillion GDP (2022) compared to Japan’s $5 Trillion economy.

Suppose the western powers pulled back from East Asia? Communist China has ambitions of conquest and leadership. Xi’s ultimate ambition is captured in the slogan “the China Dream,” a dream of national rejuvenation in which every Chinese person is commanded to share. Xi’s “national rejuvenation” amounts to a “re-creation” of the mythical Tianxia international order. It is President’s Trump’s version of “Make America Great Again.”

It seems like the United States is looking away as the rising monster of China grows stronger. No one is holding China responsible for the Covid-19 virus which was undoubtedly produced in a Wuhan laboratory, and either accidentally or purposely was leaked to the public. In the United States alone around 103 million contracted the virus and over a million people died.

The United Kingdom transferred Hong Kong to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997. This ended 156 years of
British governance over its former colony, which began in 1841. The handover marked the end of British colonial prestige in the Asia-Pacific region where it never recovered from the second World War.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that "reunification" with Taiwan "must be fulfilled," as increased
tensions over the island continue. Communist China persists by staging events to show their military power. It is advantageous for China to reunite with Taiwan because of its $828 Billion economy. Taiwan is one of the biggest semiconductor fabrication builders in the world.

Rejection of American Dominance

Since 2018, China has been at war against the United States. They are teaming up with Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other nations to fight against the hegemony of the United States. Hegemony is defined as leadership or dominance, especially by one country, over other countries. They want to throw off that yoke of the dominance of the U.S. In 2023 two alliances have officially ditched the U.S dollar for global trade. In March 2023, the ASEAN bloc was the first to decide not to use the dollar for international transactions. In August the BRICS alliance of 10 nations, which includes China, Russia, Iran, Philippines, and India, followed suit with the ASEAN bloc. Thus far 21 nations have rejected the dollar.

The demise of the British Empire came, and now we near the fall of the United States. Prophecy shows that modern Israelite nations, the U.S., Britian, Canada, Australia, and others, are destined to be destroyed and suffer captivity in the beginning of the tribulation. Prophetic scriptures indicate eastern powers, like China, will possess great military might, and they will overthrow United States domination. The kings of the east, a kind of Oriental confederacy, which will include the Chinese and other nations, will be stirred up and drawn by demonic spirits to fight at the final conflict. Daniel 11:40-43 speaks of the king of the north or Antichrist. Its armies are successful in subduing the king of the south. Daniel then records in verse 44 this prophecy: “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore, he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.”

News from the east and north would be the great hordes of China, Russia, and other nations in league with them. Revelation 16:12-16 reveals, “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ‘Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.’ And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

Especially note how God admonishes us in these times of extraordinary conflict: “Blessed is he who
watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
Albert Barnes Commentary explains “he who watches”: “The meaning here is, that he who watches for
these events, who marks the indications of their approach, and who is conscious of a preparation for them, is in abetter and happier state of mind than he on whom they come suddenly and unexpectedly.”

This is my Perspective for this week.

Have a great Sabbath and nice weekend!