Pakistan, May 12 -- As the world grapples with war, climate upheaval, and economic fragmentation, an epochal transformation is unfolding: the slow, strategic decline of the United States as the unrivaled global superpower, and the calculated rise of China as the new epicenter of global influence.

Over the last decade, signs of U.S. imperial overstretch, as predicted by historian Paul Kennedy, have become more visible. America's global military presence spans over 750 bases in 80 countries, costing taxpayers $877 billion in defense spending in 2024-more than the next ten countries combined.

Meanwhile, domestic cohesion is fraying. A recent Pew Research survey revealed that 72% of Americans believe their political system is dysfunctional....