"There has been much discussion and speculation in recent commentary over China's rapid maritime rise and strategy for dominating large swaths of the Pacific...China's naval buildup will soon give Beijing the means to use military force to back up its expansive territorial claims to essentially the entire Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea" (Robert O'Brien, "Ensuring China's Peaceful Rise," The Diplomat, Nov. 18, 2011).

A Financial Times piece titled "A Show of Force" was summarized in the table of contents in these words: "Beijing's assertive policing of its sphere of influence is fuelling fears of a growing hold over foreign policy of a hawkish and increasingly well-equipped army" (Sept. 29, 2011). A few months earlier, another Financial Times piece addressed increasing military and infrastructural cooperation between China and Pakistan. As the drophead stated, "Concerns are growing about the extent of Beijing's influence on Islamabad" ("China and Pakistan: An Alliance Is Built," June 30, 2011). This development comes at a time when America's influence on Pakistan is sharply declining.

How will these events play out in the end time? The "beast" power and ruler (mentioned earlier in this feature), supported by 10 European nations or groups of nations, is also referred to in Scripture as the "king of the North" (Daniel 11:40). After vanquishing the "king of the South," "news from the east and the north" troubles the king of the North.

Revelation 9:13-16 depicts an eastern army of 200 million people that unleashes great devastation on mankind. Later we read of "the kings [leaders] from the east" crossing the Euphrates River en route to Armageddon (the area of Megiddo) in the land of Israel (Revelation 16:12, 16). The greater part of this massive army may come from the Far East, most likely from China, India and other Asian nations.

These end-time prophecies are all part of the climactic events leading up to the second coming of Jesus Christ. (Sources: The Diplomat [Tokyo], Financial Times [London].)