Can the US contain China in the near or far future?

First we examine why China is not afraid of the US cutting off China’s economic and commerce lifeline - because the last window of opportunity for the US to do this has been closed since 2016.

The year 2016? Didn't former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon said that the US had a 5 year-window of opportunity to contain or defeat China from 2017 till 2021?[1] Unfortunately he failed to take into account the strategic significance of the Fiery Cross Reef Island base in the middle of the South China Seas, which completed reclamation in January 2016….[2]

…and welcomed the island's first commercial flight shortly.

Before Jan 2016, 60 per cent of China's crude oil and 80 per cent of China's maritime imports need to traverse through the Malacca Straits, and the US Navy can easily blockade this choke point in any US-China conflict.... But it is no longer the case now, as China is able to defend this crucial trade route with an unsinkable "aircraft carrier" (Fiery Cross Reef Island base) within striking distance of US military bases and US naval warships operating near the Malacca Straits.

The Fiery Cross Reef Island's 3,140-meter runway is as long as 10 US aircraft carrier lined up front-and-back with each other, and able to land fighter jets and heavy bombers with long range anti-ship missiles[3] . China has 3 such island bases (Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef and Subi Reef) in the Nansha district of the South China Seas and can readily upgrade these island bases to be equipped with the combined fighting capability of all 10 US aircraft carrier battle groups.

Furthermore with the Belt and Road Initiative steadily gaining traction across the Eurasian and African continent, China already has an alternative trade route if the need arise to fully switch from seaborne trade(controlled by the US) to overland trade.

Next we examine why China is not afraid of the US militarily. Since both China and the US maintain nuclear deterrence, we shall focus on conventional weapon systems. During the 1st october 2019 National Day parade, a new hypersonic ballistic glider missile DF-17 was showcased for the first time :[4]

....so what's special about this weapon system? The DF-17 is the first operational weapon in the world utilising the T. S. Tsien/Qian Xuesen[5] trajectory[6] . The path of the missile looks like this :

The DF-17 warhead's haphazard gliding path in near space renders all existing US interceptors or air defence system obsolete, due to its hypersonic-speed and unpredictability of its trajectory. The DF-17 can only be intercepted by EM pulse or laser, and the US is at least 10 years away from fielding a credible EM/laser ballistic defence system. The official specifications quoted for the DF-17 range is 2,500km, but the near-space gliding helps to extend its range by another 1,000km. There are rumours that the DF-17 warhead is modified to mount on the DF-26 series rocket boosters, which means the range of this missile can be between 3,500 to 7,500km. The DF-17's stand-off distance alters the balance of power in the Western Pacific. All US bases and air defence systems in the first, second and third island chains encircling China are now within striking range from a near-impossible-to-intercept missile in the next decade.

This is also the reason why China is not afraid of a potential confrontation with the US over reunification of Taiwan. China will most likely use the Korean War and Hong Kong riots approach - to draw in all foreign forces supporting the separatists and secessionists , and then give a final warning to all before commencing reunification.

Let's move on to look at why China is not afraid of the US in this ongoing tech war in the 5G infocomms sector. If you recall, the US does not have any company that can rival Huawei, after the demise of Lucent Technologies and Motorola 20 years ago. China is poised to lead the 5G or 4th industrial revolution...and if you step back and ponder about it, the ongoing tech War is actually win-win for both China and the US. China is able to speed up its transition to hi-tech industries and chipset independence by cutting reliance on US technology(Huawei's P40 series cellphone does not have any US chipset), shortening the timeline to achieve this from 2049 to 2025. As for the US, or rather the Trump administration, they are able to restructure America's industrial base and economy using whatever edge the US has currently in hi-tech,and guarantee Trump's re-election in 2020 (laying the foundation for Ivanka Trump's election as first female US president in history from 2025 onwards)

In summary, China has reached or is going to reach peer status with the US, with some areas exceeding the US, across all fields of endeavour you can think of. Hence China is not afraid of the US and will hit back whenever China's core interests are concerned.

Both China and the US are going to lead the world together in a multilateralism framework and we wish them all the best and God bless.

How do you view the life and achievements of prophet Muhammad?

Many Muslims and critics of Islam do not justify while speaking about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and exaggerate things in their own way. A person who wants to read about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) get confused and unable to reach between the lines. As a student of history, I was always keen to know how Prophet Muhammad influenced Arab society that later emerged at the horizon of the world under the umbrella of Islam. Even if I keep aside my religious beliefs, there are many takeaways from the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Before understanding both Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it is most important to understand the geographical and political dynamics of Arab society in the eye of history. I would clear one thing this is not a religious answer.

The word “Arab” comes from the somitic term, which means “wandering” or “nomadic”. The Arabs were mainly nomadic tribes who used to spend their summer near oasis. These nomadic tribes had a tradition of spending their days in the South of Yemen during fall and rainy season. The prime Arab land (today’s Saudi Arabia) was mostly desert and barren land. At the Eastern end they had a border with the Sassanids Empire and at the Northwest Levant were under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire. If I wrap up, the Arabs were lacking centralized leadership or a person who could cheer up with more enthusiasm, power, and energy.

Makkah was owned and ruled by Quraysh who was descendant of Fihr ibn Malik. The Quraysh tribe was divided in 10 sub-tribes. Bani Hashim was one of the branches of Quraysh who were the custodians of Kaa’baa. Though Bani Hashim wasn't the wealthiest tribe, but they were known for their dignity and humbleness.

570 A.D a year when Prophet Muhammad was born in the sands of Arabia.

Muhammad lost his father Abdullah prior to his birth. His mother Amina passed away when he was hardly 6 years old. He lost his grandfather Abdul Mutalib 2 years later. His uncle Abu Talib took the custody of Muhammad, who later helped him to become a trader. He had a complicated childhood but these events later helped him established leader.

Muhammad with the passing team earned his reputation as a trader and was known as “Al-Sadiq” (truthful) and “Al-Amin” (trustworthy) in Arab. Khadija who was approx 15 years elder than Muhammad sent a proposal that was accepted by Muhammad.

When Muhammad announced his prophecy, his close family members and tribesman went against him. They weren't ready to accept the change. You may disagree with Muhammad on number of things but you will have to agree with honesty, Muhammad at the other hand was offering something exceptional to the Arab society which was rare before. [1]

The 13 years of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his Sahabas (companions) in Makkah were intense, but they didn't fumble. Muhammad and his companions later settled in Madina where Ansar (the Muslims of Madina) embraced them with open heart and arms. Even if you exclude Islam for a while, Muhammad’s message of brotherhood, peace, and social values was attracting the Arab society. Muhammad and his companions later faced Kuffars of Makkah, Sassanids of Persia, and Romans of Byzantium in the battlefield for their survival and it was inevitable if you understand warfare.

The success of Muhammad as a leader as well as Prophet was not a fluke but the result of his consistent hardwork, determination, enthusiasm, and brilliance. This cannot be a fortune or luck where the majority of Arab embraced Islam before his death on June 8, 632.

In the final years of his life when Makkah was conquered, he pardons his fierce enemies. Muhammad through this act earned more dignity and set classic example. Abu-Bakr, Umar, Usman, and Ali later contributed to Islam to where it stands today.

If you read the autobiography of Muhammad like a historian, I’m pretty much sure you will learn number of things about him.