The world is increasingly moving in a dangerous direction.

Rather than people coming together, we are moving further apart. Kith and kin is the order of the day.

Bellicose rhetoric is defining foreign policy. Calmer heads need to prevail.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth today said America is ‘prepared’ to go to war with China.

It is ominous when both the world’s superpowers sabre rattle at each other.

Speaking on Fox News today, Hegseth said: “ If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others we have to be strong and the President understands peace comes through strength.

“We’re prepared for war. Those who long for peace must be prepared for war.”

There is already a protracted war in Europe with the Ukraine/Russia conflict set fo further escalate after three years.

The Israeli conflict in Gaza may very well set off the entire Middle East.

Now comes worrying talk about war between China and the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump has raised tariffs on some Chinese goods from 10 to 20 per cent. China has retaliated.

The Chinese embassy in the U.S. has made its country’s position clear, writing, “ If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight until the end.”

Today, China says it will be increasing its defence spending by 7.2 per cent this year.

China has risen to be both a military and economic power and has a number of trade partnerships with countries across the world. Its economy is projected to grow by 5 per cent this year.

Jamaica and other countries are fearful that the Trump administration will tell them to cut off relations and doing business with China. Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley has said that the Caribbean should be able to trade with whoever it wants to and should not be censored for doing so.

China issued a foreign ministry statement which read: “The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.

“Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way to deal with China.”

China has the largest military navy in the world and the second largest military budget at US$250 billion according to the International Peace Research Institute.

“We are ready for China. We are the greatest military power the world has ever seen. That’s why we are rebuilding our military. That’s why we’re re-establishing deterrence in the warrior ethos. We live in a dangerous world with powerful ascendant countries with a very different ideology.

“The Chinese are rapidly increasing their defence spending, modern technology, they want to supplant the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.