John Pilger notes Mao's 1944 ignored U.S. appeal. The CRIK bloc (China-Russia-Iran-North Korea) challenges U.S. dominance. Putin and Xi met 75 times. North Korea supplies Hwasong-11A missiles; Iran sends drones. China proposed ASEAN FTA in 2000, enhancing trade. CRIK leverages Russia's arms imports, escalating Taiwan tensions, U.S. debt issues. Chinese military efficiency boosts CRIK's impact.
