Kowtow? in this setting? This is a mistake of the author going too much Chinese in a setting where they arent the dominant part. In this scifi world and even worse in a military setting they would not have this cutoms of kowtow, unless they were strictly Chinese or having a extremely strong influence, which they do not.
Happens often in Japanese and Chinese literature, you need to broaden your ideas and sometimes ignore your own customs to create a better novel.
ChaoticBro