Part 2/11:
During that period, Chinese engagement was marked by iconic gestures like Whittam's Great Wall walk and Prime Minister John Howard's stroll along the Shanghai Bund. These symbols reflected a time of less confrontational geopolitics and boundless economic opportunity. However, Pazulo underscored that the world has fundamentally changed since then. China’s rapid military build-up under President Xi Jinping, with strategic goals such as preparedness for a potential conflict over Taiwan by 2027 and establishing global military dominance by 2045, signals a more assertive and potentially aggressive posture.