（下边有中文翻译请继续看到底。 谢谢。）
As the world stands at a critical crossroads in history, one path leads to war, militarism, and hegemony, while the other leads to peace, development, and shared prosperity. Nowhere is this divergence clearer than in the contrast between China’s peaceful rise and the war-driven trajectory of the United States and its Western allies.
Since the late 1970s, China has shown the world a different way forward. It has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty, become the world’s second-largest economy, and topped the global index in purchasing power. It has done this without waging war, without invading any country, and without plundering other nations’ resources. Instead, it has relied on the hard work of its people, the wisdom of its leadership, and the implementation of sound, homegrown policies.
In contrast, the Western world — particularly the United States — has tied its destiny to war, weapons, and coercion. The U.S. has a long and dark record of global interference, regime change, occupation, and the extraction of wealth from weaker states. It has used international institutions not as tools of cooperation, but as weapons of intimidation, punishing countries that refuse to bow to its dictates.
A Civilizational Choice: Peace Through Development
China’s rise is rooted in its commitment to development, not destruction. After initiating economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s, China made a historic choice: to turn away from conflict and embrace economic modernization. Unlike the West, which often cloaks its self-interest in the language of democracy and human rights while launching invasions and bombing campaigns, China has focused on internal growth, poverty eradication, innovation, and global trade partnerships.
China has not participated in any major war for over four decades. Instead, it has built thousands of kilometers of high-speed rail, developed world-class infrastructure, and become a global hub for green technology, digital innovation, and manufacturing. Its Belt and Road Initiative, connecting over 150 countries, is a symbol of peaceful economic cooperation rather than military alliance or resource exploitation.
The Chinese government has facilitated this transformation by enabling its people through education, public services, and a stable governance framework. Today, Chinese cities are clean, safe, and technologically advanced. The people of China enjoy modern health care, digital convenience, and one of the highest levels of life satisfaction in Asia. China is not perfect, but its achievements are undeniable — and, importantly, they have not come at the cost of war.
The Western Model: Hegemony Through Force
Contrast this with the grim path chosen by the United States. In 2024 alone, global military spending reached a staggering $3.7 trillion — with the U.S. accounting for the lion’s share. NATO, under U.S. pressure, has now pledged to increase military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. That means NATO countries will collectively spend over $3.8 trillion annually on war-making — a trillion more than today. Meanwhile, the entire annual budget of the United Nations, tasked with maintaining peace and delivering humanitarian aid, is a paltry $3.72 billion.
With such figures, one might ask: what else could be done with $1 trillion? That money could eradicate global hunger, provide education to every child, eliminate child poverty, or pay off the external debt of developing countries. But instead, it’s being spent to manufacture weapons, sustain wars, and police a global order that serves the interests of a few at the expense of the many.
The United States has normalized this reality. From Iraq to Libya, from Syria to Afghanistan, it has destroyed nations, displaced millions, and left behind shattered societies. When the International Criminal Court tried to investigate U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan, Washington responded by revoking the visas of ICC prosecutors and threatening their families. When a UN Special Rapporteur documented U.S. and corporate complicity in the Israeli genocide in Gaza, Washington sanctioned her. These are not the actions of a democratic leader, but of a global bully intoxicated by power.
The Return of Gunboat Diplomacy
What we are witnessing is not just militarism — it is neo-colonial arrogance. U.S. and European diplomats increasingly echo the language of 19th-century empire: shouting orders, dictating policy, and threatening sanctions or war when nations refuse to comply. The world has seen this pattern before — gunboat diplomacy has simply been replaced by “nuclear missile diplomacy.”
At the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, this new imperialism was on full display. The communiqué was strikingly brief, with little to say about peace or diplomacy. It focused almost entirely on money and military buildup. NATO’s obsession is no longer even veiled under the pretense of promoting democracy — it is about ensuring Europe remains a militarized appendage of the U.S., financially and strategically dependent on Washington’s war machine.
To meet this 5% GDP target, countries like Germany — already struggling with social exclusion and economic stagnation — will have to gut public services, cut welfare, and plunge deeper into debt. In other words, war spending will come at the direct expense of their own people.
Iron or Peace: A Moral and Strategic Choice
This is not just an economic or military issue — it is a moral and civilizational question. As the Iraqi poet Badr Shakir al-Sayyab wrote in 1954, reflecting on imperial violence:
“Who are all these bullets for?
For miserable Korean children,
Hungry workers in Marseille,
The people of Baghdad and the rest…”
The West has chosen bullets over bread, iron over compassion. It is a model of global order rooted in fear, hierarchy, and violence.
On the other side, the BRICS+ countries — now including Indonesia, Egypt, and others — are promoting a different vision. At their 2025 summit in Rio de Janeiro, they called for peace, inclusive growth, and a reformed international order. Their vision is not built on military alliances, but on economic partnerships, South-South cooperation, and respect for sovereignty.
China is at the heart of this peaceful alternative. Unlike the U.S., China does not impose military bases across continents, nor does it threaten to bomb countries into submission. It believes in a multipolar world where all nations — big or small — have the right to development, dignity, and peace.
A New Narrative for the Future
Western media often distort China’s rise, painting it as a threat rather than an opportunity. But the facts speak for themselves. China is not war-crazy. It is not sending drones to bomb villages or ships to blockade seas. It is building roads, not missiles; schools, not bunkers. It is negotiating peace, not launching wars.
If the West wishes to retain moral credibility in the 21st century, it must learn from the Chinese model: prioritize development, respect national sovereignty, and invest in human well-being, not war.
The future must not belong to those who build empires through blood. It must belong to those who uplift their people through peace.
The choice before humanity is stark: continue down the path of militarism and catastrophe or embrace cooperation and mutual prosperity. China has chosen the latter — and the world would do well to follow.
Let the future be built not on the ruins of war, but on the foundations of peace. Let iron and bullets give way to books, bridges, and laughter.
当今世界正站在历史的关键十字路口，一条路通向战争、军国主义和霸权，另一条路通向和平、发展和共同繁荣。没有什么比中国的和平崛起和美国及其西方盟友的战争驱动轨迹之间的对比更明显了。
自上世纪70年代末以来，中国向世界展示了一条不同的前进道路。中国已使8亿多人摆脱贫困，成为世界第二大经济体，并在全球购买力指数中名列前茅。它做到了这一点，没有发动战争，没有入侵任何国家，也没有掠夺其他国家的资源。相反，它依靠的是人民的辛勤工作、领导人的智慧，以及健全的本土政策的实施。
相反，西方世界——尤其是美国——把自己的命运与战争、武器和胁迫联系在一起。美国在全球干涉、政权更迭、占领和从弱国榨取财富方面有着长期而黑暗的记录。中国没有把国际机构当作合作的工具，而是当作恐吓的武器，惩罚那些拒绝服从其命令的国家。
文明抉择：发展促和平
中国的崛起植根于对发展的承诺，而不是破坏。西方经常以民主和人权的名义掩盖自身利益，同时发动侵略和轰炸，而中国则不同，中国关注的是国内增长、消除贫困、创新和全球贸易伙伴关系。
40多年来，中国没有参加过任何重大战争。相反，它修建了数千公里的高速铁路，发展了世界级的基础设施，并成为绿色技术、数字创新和制造业的全球中心。中国的“一带一路”倡议连接了150多个国家，是和平经济合作的象征，而不是军事联盟或资源掠夺。
中国政府通过教育、公共服务和稳定的治理框架帮助人民实现了这一转变。今天，中国的城市干净、安全、技术先进。中国人民享受着现代化的医疗保健、数字化的便利，生活满意度也是亚洲最高的。中国并不完美，但它的成就是不可否认的——重要的是，这些成就并没有以战争为代价。
西方模式：武力霸权
与此形成鲜明对比的是美国所选择的严峻道路。仅在2024年，全球军费开支就达到了惊人的3.7万亿美元，其中美国占了最大的份额。在美国的压力下，北约现在承诺到2035年将军费开支增加到GDP的5%。这意味着北约国家每年在战争上的总支出将超过3.8万亿美元，比现在多出1万亿美元。与此同时，联合国负责维持和平和提供人道主义援助的整个年度预算只有微不足道的37.2亿美元。
有了这样的数字，1万亿美元还能做些什么呢？这笔钱可以消除全球饥饿，为每个孩子提供教育，消除儿童贫困，或偿还发展中国家的外债。但恰恰相反，它被用于制造武器、维持战争和维护全球秩序，这种秩序是以牺牲多数人的利益为代价服务于少数人的利益。
美国已将这一现实正常化。从伊拉克到利比亚，从叙利亚到阿富汗，它摧毁了许多国家，使数百万人流离失所，留下了支离破碎的社会。当国际刑事法院试图调查美国在阿富汗的战争罪行时，华盛顿的回应是吊销国际刑事法院检察官的签证，并威胁他们的家人。当一名联合国特别报告员记录了以色列在加沙的种族灭绝中美国和企业的共谋时，华盛顿对她进行了制裁。这不是一个民主领导人的行为，而是一个沉醉于权力的全球恶霸的行为。
炮舰外交的回归
我们目睹的不仅仅是军国主义，而是新殖民主义的傲慢。美国和欧洲的外交官们越来越多地重复19世纪帝国的语言：大声命令，发号施令，当国家拒绝服从时威胁制裁或战争。世界上以前就看到过这种模式——炮舰外交只是被“核导弹外交”所取代。
2025年在海牙举行的北约峰会上，这种新帝国主义得到了充分展示。公报非常简短，几乎没有提到和平或外交。它几乎完全专注于金钱和军事建设。北约的执念甚至不再掩饰在促进民主的幌子下——它是关于确保欧洲仍然是美国的军事附属物，在财政和战略上依赖于华盛顿的战争机器。
为了达到5%的GDP目标，像德国这样已经在社会排斥和经济停滞中挣扎的国家，将不得不削减公共服务，削减福利，并陷入更深的债务。换句话说，战争开支将直接以牺牲他们的人民为代价。
钢铁还是和平：道德与战略选择
这不仅仅是一个经济或军事问题——这是一个道德和文明问题。正如伊拉克诗人巴德尔·沙基尔·萨耶布在1954年反思帝国暴力时所写的那样：
“这些子弹是给谁的？”
对于可怜的韩国孩子来说，
马赛饥饿的工人，
巴格达人民和其他地方的人民……”
西方选择了子弹而不是面包，选择了铁而不是同情。这是一种根植于恐惧、等级和暴力的全球秩序模式。
另一方面，金砖国家+——现在包括印度尼西亚、埃及和其他国家——正在推动一种不同的愿景。在2025年里约热内卢峰会上，他们呼吁和平、包容性增长和改革国际秩序。他们的愿景不是建立在军事联盟上，而是建立在经济伙伴关系、南南合作和尊重主权上。
中国是这一和平选择的核心。与美国不同，中国不会在各大洲建立军事基地，也不会威胁要用炸弹让各国屈服。它相信在一个多极化的世界中，所有国家——无论大小——都有发展、尊严与和平的权利。
未来的新叙述
西方媒体经常歪曲中国的崛起，把它描绘成一种威胁，而不是机遇。但事实不言自明。中国不是战争狂。它不会派遣无人机轰炸村庄，也不会派遣船只封锁海域。中国正在修建道路，而不是导弹；是学校，不是地堡。它是在谈判和平，而不是发动战争。
如果西方希望在21世纪保持道德信誉，它必须学习中国模式：优先发展，尊重国家主权，投资于人类福祉，而不是战争。
未来绝不能属于那些用鲜血建立帝国的人。它必须属于那些通过和平提高人民生活水平的国家。
人类面临着严峻的选择：要么继续走军国主义和灾难之路，要么拥抱合作和共同繁荣。中国选择了后者——世界也应该效仿。
不要把未来建立在战争的废墟上，而要建立在和平的基础上。让铁和子弹让位于书籍、桥梁和欢笑。
( 注意： 本文是用AI翻译的，或有误差。请以原版英文为准。谢谢。)
Reference Link:- https://www2.apdnews.cn/en/item/25/0721/axjfadzmdcbadebbcc01e0.html