The Communist Party of China (CPC) has set up the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country by 2050. The goal reflects a commitment to a better life for the Chinese people and signifies the country's capacity to address issues of livelihood.

What will a great modern country look like? National defense will be modernized accordingly. For China, the ultimate purpose of defense modernization is to ensure smooth modernization in all other fields, making sure the country cannot be trampled underfoot. Chinese civilization is defensive in nature and active defense is perhaps the upper limit of China's defense policy. There's no real adventurism in the history of the dynasties of Han people.

Chinese history is a history of cultural integration. Inclusiveness is the source of the vitality of Chinese civilization. Such inclusiveness might be where the solution can be found for major powers to avoid the Thucydides Trap. Trade and cultural exchange between China and the US is staggering, a victory for the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization.

China's GDP is about 60 percent that of the US, but China is still a moderate and prudent country as a whole. The major diplomatic initiatives of China - for instance, the Belt and Road initiative, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank - are cooperation-oriented and open to all states. China's construction activities in the South China Sea are heatedly discussed, but it is on Chinese territories that these construction works were carried out.

The Chinese system, to a large extent, has curbed nationalism, rather than indulged or encouraged it. Radical nationalist voices are under control in China. The country doesn't want radical advocacy to trigger strife internally or conflicts externally.

Regarding territorial disputes with neighboring countries, obviously China has no plan to grab all the disputed territory through its growing military strength. China and the relevant countries all emphasize sovereignty, yet also stress maintaining the status quo. China advocates a "friendly neighborhood" policy and strives to avoid disputes being intensified.

Cooperation between China and other countries expands with China's growing strength. There is a rising sense of guarding against each other, but such sentiment is effectively under control and Beijing is working to positively promote mutual trust with the related countries.

If India were the world's second largest economy, how would that scenario play out? For sure a high-profile India would cause more conflict and friction in international affairs. New Delhi would probably seek to "Indianize" the whole Indian Ocean. In the 1970s, India annexed the sovereign country of Sikkim and today still strictly restrains the diplomatic freedom of Bhutan and Nepal. If India had the same strength as China, it would have sought more aggressive action on the Sino-Indian border and in Kashmir affairs.

Managing state affairs and avoiding a major crisis is the long-term challenge of China's governance. Chinese civilization has undergone ups and downs in its long history. China would like to focus on its own affairs and meanwhile make friends all over the world.

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