China's strategy was very different; it lasted for many years, and they achieved what they wanted. I can say that they are currently the most powerful country in the world. And they didn't achieve this through military force alone. However, they are very strong militarily, and they excel in every industry and technology, and they also have a very large population.
I think their main achievement is production, because no country can compete with them in trade. They gained their current position entirely through trade, not military means.
It was like that until recently. The idea was to build a bridge between communism/socialism and capitalism. Deng Xiaoping had a wonderful idea, which he brought to life. The question is: what has the Chinese economy turned into now? Huge hidden state subsidies to its manufacturers so that they can compete unfairly in foreign markets? Usurpation of power and an attempt to “subjugate” private companies to state control? Internal competition and purges at the top?
Confrontation with the West? It seems to me that this is not the best path Xi Jinping could have chosen, but... he did it and continues to play the “I am the new empire” game, with questionable processes inside and outside China.
Hide your strength, bide your time is Deng's Main principle which mean not confrontative with targeting industrialization, global market integration, technology transfer, domestic stability and get legitimation from communist party. At that time no plan to be geopolitical power only to be world manufacture with major action, China opening wide economy, pull in investation massively, exporting cheap manufactured product so avoid global tension and conflict, very different with what world see now. Actually if we read the history, Ancient Chinese is worldwide trader who spread cultural influence around the globe, so modern silk trade road and BRI can't be seen as distortion from Deng main principle but rather a next phase after Deng target has been achieved.
I agree there are paradigm shift on Xi's era. Xi use economy as geopolitical power, He controlling strategic sector politically and suddenly has sistemic confrontation with western ally. Simply we can say Deng build foundation and after China get stability and power, Xi make power projection. Through Xi's leadership China back to comunist party doctrin which is economy serve the country not country serve economy, thats why national interest always above market, because market only tools not purpose even privat company is only a national instrument. Xi close full liberalitation hope post Deng's era and bring China back to Mao era with economic pramagtism, Xi has consideration that China already strong enough, they already dominate world supply chain and the last USD and western domination as geopolitical risk for China.
I see BRI and silk trade route is sistemic imperialism which China dominate trade and its supply chain, China controlling logistics and now China try to ruled economic architecture. I can see Xi's plan of Eurasia recentralization with China as hub.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hide_your_strength,_bide_your_time