Instead of putting America First, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are putting China First, gutting assets we need in order to stay ahead of them.

Beijing is increasing its defense investment to keep up with the global trend, with a rise this year of 230 billion euros. The overwhelming emergence of Donald Trump has stirred global tensions, with defense now at the center of the global geopolitical stage.

Norway, a NATO member located on the Arctic front line, has said that China's presence in the region is "limited but growing" as it increases cooperation with its quasi-ally Russia. Newsweek has emailed the Chinese and Russian foreign ministries for comment by email.

France, which is a NATO member, and China have sent their aircraft carriers to the hotly contested South China Sea earlier this week, where territorial disputes remain unsolved. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.

China has announced that it will increase its national defense budget by 7.2 percent this year. This is the 10th consecutive year of single-digit growth.

Taiwan's coast guard said it was investigating whether the incident was sabotage but said "it cannot be ruled out that it was a gray zone intrusion."

The shifting tides of global politics have always been dictated by the convergence of interests among great powers. In recent months, a new strategic alignment has emerged— one that promises to rede

Citing unnamed U.S. officials, Bloomberg reported that Moscow and Washington were discussing economic cooperation in the far north, which could "drive a wedge" between Russia and key trading ally China. It could also be part of a detente between the U.S. and Russia sought by U.S. President Donald Trump.

China and Russia “cannot be moved away” from one another, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told his counterpart Vladimir Putin Monday, in their first phone call since US President Donald Trump upended American foreign policy with a sweeping pivot toward Moscow as he pushes for peace in Ukraine.

Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee led by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) grilled Elbridge Colby, President Trump’s pick to serve as undersecretary of Defense for policy, over his