China has made it clear, in writing, what it will do. It has also made it clear, in writing, what it will not do.
What China wrote in the national security white paper, 12 May 2025, should make the world feel safer and more secure. This is the first national security paper China has written, and it gives three pledges:
Never seek hegemony
Never expand
Never seek spheres of influence
This means Beijing does not want to be a controlling global power as the U.S., Soviet Union, Britain, France, et al. were in the past. Nor does it have a desire to expand its territory (it does want territory that was taken from it returned - see below). In fact, Beijing is saying it is not even interested in influencing other nations.
Beijing published only a short English summary of the paper, and it did not include the three pledges. Those who read only the English summary missed an important message.
The 24 July 2019 national defense white paper (the most recent) sets goals for the armed forces:
