The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley named Russia, China, and the United States the three great powers.
"Today it is increasingly clear that we are in a multipolar environment with at least three great powers: the United States, Russia, and China," the general said.
According to the official, the multipolar system replaced the sole leadership of the US that followed the collapse of the bipolar system.
"The geopolitical situation is shifting, in a fundamental way. During the Cold War there were only two great powers. After the fall of the Berlin Wall there was a period when the US was the only superpower," Milley noted.
In addition, according to the American general, many other countries are entering the leading positions in the region, claiming ambitions for world leadership, which means that "we are entering an era of much greater challenges in the international environment."
The highest-ranking military official also voiced confidence that China is on a course of confrontation with both the United States and its neighbors.
According to Milley, China intends to turn into a regional hegemon in Asia within a decade and enhance its military capabilities, which will exceed those of the United States by the middle of this century.
Earlier in May, US President Joe Biden announced his intention to appoint current US Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to replace Millie, who will step down in four months.