- Beijing’s military parade and Tianjin’s SCO summit signal the emergence of a new global power axis led by rising nations.
- The emerging country power alliances collectively named BRICS and BRINK forge systems that defy sanctions, sidestep the IMF and threaten an order built by Washington.
On 3 September, Beijing staged a monumental military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Far from a mere commemoration, it was a dramatic display of force as tanks thundered along Chang’an Avenue, hypersonic missiles and nuclear-capable rockets rolled past cheering crowds, and squadrons of fighter jets cut through the skies.
At the heart of it stood Xi Jinping, shoulder to shoulder with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un – an unmistakable signal that a new axis of power is no longer emerging but already here. Their presence challenged Western attempts at isolation. Leaders Washington tried to cast as pariahs were now parading at the centre of the world’s second-largest economy. A symbolic rebuke, delivered in full view of the world.
The parade was Beijing’s declaration that the balance of global power is shifting – from an era dominated by America and its allies to one where alternative centres of authority are visible, confident and unapologetic.
Tianjin’s Summit of Giants
Just days earlier, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin (31 August–1 September) had already set the tone. It was the largest in the organisation’s history, bringing together Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and India’s Narendra Modi, alongside a wide array of Eurasian and Global South leaders – a display of multipolar momentum.
On The Rest is Politics podcast, Rory Stewart remarked that the meeting showed how these countries now view the United States as a “more and more aggressive, unpredictable threat”. His co-host, former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell, called it “very consequential”, recognising that this was no routine summit but a landmark moment in global realignment.
Xi Jinping left little to the imagination. “We must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics and practice true multilateralism”, he told delegates, in what Reuters described as a “thinly veiled swipe at Washington and President Trump’s tariff policies”. Xi pressed his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the Global South, directly challenging the U.S.-led system.
The symbolism was evident: China, Russia and India – the world’s most populous nations, with vast militaries and growing economies – sharing a stage. Together, they represented a demographic and geographic weight the West can no longer ignore. What might once have been dismissed as diplomatic routine is now seen as a genuine challenge to American dominance. Power is being seized in plain sight. This sentiment was echoed by American analysts including a fellow at NYU, Ed Price, who warned that “there is no way that the Americans can compete” if any form of economic or military alliance is formed between these three countries.
Tired of Double Standards
If the world needed proof that Western “rules” apply selectively, it has had decades of examples. Israel has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, yet it maintains an undeclared arsenal of nuclear weapons with impunity. Washington not only shields it from accountability but continues to funnel billions in military aid.
At the United Nations, American vetoes repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions on Gaza, even as civilian deaths mounted and the overwhelming majority of countries called for immediate and unconditional restraint. When the International Criminal Court (ICC) signalled its intent to investigate Israeli officials, U.S. lawmakers threatened sanctions on the Court itself rather than allow scrutiny of an ally. It was yet another reminder that sanctions are not simply about upholding international law; they are a political tool, deployed to punish adversaries and protect friends.
For much of the Global South, this double standard is increasingly problematic. Institutions like the UN and ICC now appear less like neutral arbiters and more like extensions of American power and the more Washington bends the rules for its allies, the less credible those institutions appear.
This is why the SCO, BRICS and BRINK alliance resonates. They are platforms built on the recognition that the so-called “rules-based order” is in practice a hierarchy – one that many states are no longer willing to accept. Every veto, every exception, every blind eye turned has pushed more nations to seek alternatives.
Beyond Symbolism: The Machinery of a New Order
Beijing’s parade and Tianjin’s summit were not empty pageantry despite U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissing the gathering as “largely performative”. They were anchored in real systems already taking shape: the framework of an alternative order.
Financial analysts pointed to Xi’s push for an “electro-yuan” energy corridor across Central Asia, linking renewable power grids to Chinese finance as a direct challenge to the dollar’s historic grip on energy markets. Russia now conducts nearly all its foreign exchange in yuan. The BRICS New Development Bank issues bonds in local currencies, with its membership now expanded to Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE. On the battlefield, Iran supplies drones, North Korea provides artillery and even troops, while China keeps Russia’s war machine running by purchasing record volumes of its energy. At the same time, what some call the “BRINK” alignment – Belarus, Russia, Iran and North Korea – is already operating in practice with drones, artillery, and manpower flowing despite sanctions.
Together, BRICS and BRINK provide the economic and military backbone of an emerging counter-system. Their cooperation is deliberately designed to withstand Western sanctions and pressure. Once monopolised by America and its allies, that system is now being wielded to blunt their dominance and erode their ability to isolate rivals.
The IMF Trap
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was created after World War II to stabilise the global economy. For decades, it has been the only lifeline for struggling countries. But in reality, it has become a revolving door of debt.
When countries run out of dollars, they turn to the IMF. Loans are approved only if governments agree to sweeping reforms. Subsidies on food and fuel are lifted, driving up living costs overnight. State companies are sold off, often to foreign investors. Public spending is cut, leaving schools and hospitals underfunded. What the IMF calls “stabilisation”, citizens experience as hardship.
The cost goes beyond the 5–8% interest, especially after surcharges are added.
The Fund acts as a gatekeeper: approval unlocks global finance, while refusal locks it down. That leverage forces countries to sign agreements they know will hurt their people.
Escaping is rare. South Korea managed it after the 1997 Asian crisis thanks to its industrial base, even rallying citizens to donate personal gold to speed repayment. But countries like Argentina, Ghana, Pakistan, Zambia and Sri Lanka remain trapped in cycles of debt.
This is why BRICS and BRINK matter. Their loans are often cheaper, issued in local currencies and tied to infrastructure or trade instead of austerity. They don’t yet replace the IMF. Even their own emergency reserve fund still ties most of its disbursements to IMF approval – a contradiction that shows how hard it is to break free entirely. But the new systems are built to reduce Washington’s control and offer a way out of dependency.
The Axis of Tomorrow
The West still holds immense power. The dollar dominates global trade, NATO commands unmatched firepower, and the IMF and World Bank still shape economies. But power without credibility is fragile. Every veto at the UN, every exemption for Israel, every IMF deal that deepens poverty erodes the order America designed.
Beijing’s parade and Tianjin’s summit made clear that the alternatives are no longer theoretical. As AP reported, the event “signalled complex geopolitical manoeuvring amid shifting global alliances”, where Xi is increasingly seen as a leader for countries side-lined by the post-WWII system. The Guardian framed it as an “axis of upheaval”, noting it served as an intentional counter to the Western-led narrative. As Foreign Affairs observed, coalitions like BRICS are beginning to “constrain the actions of the great powers”.
The old order still has reach, but increasingly without trust. The IMF, structurally controlled by Washington, has lost credibility across the Global South. In its place, a new axis is taking shape – one where America no longer holds the monopoly on leadership. Rising superpowers are not asking for permission. They are taking their place and Washington’s domination looks weaker than ever.
