Kishore Mahbubani, a former Singaporean diplomat and author, pointed out that when the United States became the world's top power in the 1890s, it declared war on Spain and brought the Philippines and Cuba under its control. He contrasted this with the path of peaceful development China has chosen in its rise as a great power. Mahbubani said the manner of China's rise breaks the traditional logic of major-power competition and deserves global acclaim.