ABSTRACT
Opening the Chinese economy to the world and adopting reforms initiated by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1978 led to rapid economic growth in the following decades. As a result, Chinese defense spending is steadily increasing, and Chinese leaders are becoming more actively involved in international politics. China currently has the second-highest defense spending in the world. High-level government officials during the Xi Jinping era have visited three times as many countries since 2013 as during the 30-year Mao Zedong era. The noticeable growth of China's power potential since the days of Deng Xiaoping raises many questions about China's interests and intentions in international politics. What are the main goals of Chinese foreign policy? Is China trying to achieve global dominance? How does the Belt and Road Initiative relate to the Chinese strategy? Is China a peaceful and benevolent power or an expansive aggressor?
