Kuala Lampur, Sept. 6 -- China's recent military parade in Beijing, where hypersonic missiles, underwater drones, laser weapons, and artificial intelligence - enhanced systems were rolled out before a global audience, was not merely a spectacle of pageantry.

It was a carefully choreographed statement of technological advancement, military preparedness, and national resolve. Inevitably, the same question echoed across Washington, Tokyo, New Delhi, and Canberra: should the world be worried?

The instinctive reaction has been to read parades as preparation for war. China parades hardware; therefore, it seeks conflict.

This is a dangerous oversimplification. Parades project capabilities, not intentions. Capabilities are observable; intentio...