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CHINA: AIMS AND AMBITIONS
- The Chinese state's prevailing aim is—very simply—to ensure that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains in power. Everything else is subservient to that. Professor Steve Tsang, Director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies. (SOAS), explained, "[it is] the single most important driving factor for Chinese politics since the post-Mao period".[1] The UK Intelligence Community similarly referred to China's principal concern as being "to ensure the continuing dominance and governance of the Chinese Communist Party. Anything which subtracts or threatens to undermine that will immediately run into what China perceives as its key national interests".[2]
- This is familiar territory that has been covered in depth by others. However, the Intelligence Community added a second principal concern:
China also seeks to become … a global power by the middle of the century. 2049 … will be the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and that is very much the timeframe in which China is looking at its global ambitions and its global activities.[3]
- Unlike Russia, China is not assessed to be "fundamentally nihilistic" in its attempt to once again be viewed as a "great power"[4]—it does not appear to intend to carry out a catastrophic attack. China wants to be a technological and economic superpower, with other countries reliant on its goodwill—that is its primary measure of sovereign success.[5] MI5 observed:
*** it is going after IP [Intellectual Property], it is building itself as a power, it is positioning China in the world at the top of the tree ***[6]
- With these two overarching aims—remaining in power domestically and becoming a technological and economic superpower internationally—in mind, the UK Government considers China's supporting objectives as being:
- Economic stability: The CCP views economic prosperity as crucial to the legitimisation of the Party's rule. China's economic agenda focuses on ensuring the successful transition of its economy from a manufacturing base into an advanced high-tech economy that reflects and promotes modern China.
- Geopolitical influence: China seeks geopolitical influence in order to reshape international systems and values in line with its own interests and to be seen as a strong and dominant global power.
- Domestic control: The CCP looks to prevent internal dissent and ensure the survival of the Party.
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