China has a different concept of national security. They take the words literally and try to secure their own nation. China (in its own words and actions) “will never seek hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence.” China is simply trying to be China in China. You can see this from maps as well as words.

Maps

Look at China's Theater Commands, ie the operational divisions of its military. It's all within China. Their commands are just North, South, East, West, and Central. China's national security interest is limited to their own nation, as it should be.

Compare this to America's ‘areas of responsibility’. They've got NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM covering the entire Americas (which don't belong to them) and AFRICOM, EUCOM, CENTCOM, and PACOM (which belong even less). Every single inch of the map has to be commanded by America somehow, or else it's a problem only bombs can solve. This is an empire hiding beneath the clunky formulation “the United States, our Allies, and partners.” I simply call it White Empire, because that's what it is.

This White Empire has over 750 military bases abroad and is fighting multiple wars constantly. China has just one foreign base, in Djibouti, and has started none. Whereas America (alone) accounts for 43% of arms exports, that's the only export sector China doesn't lead in, accounting for just 6% (and falling).

Nearly two-thirds of China's arms exports go to one country, Pakistan. Why? For the same reason they have a base in Djibouti, to secure their energy interests. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is their backup route to the oil if the Malacca Strait gets blockaded and is the only part of the Belt and Road project that's effectively militarized. Beyond securing its own economic interests, China has no further interest in hegemony. You can see this in their political statements, or in their military deployments equally. As they said in a 2025 white paper, “China is committed to building the “Belt and Road” into a road of peace and will not repeat the old routine of geopolitical games. On the issue of peace and security, China is a major country with the best record in the world.

China's military is concentrated on China, while Empire's forces are distracted by multiple wars, genocides, and occupations all at once. China is clearly in a defensive posture, while Empire is aggressively posturing all around them.

Taiwan

The point where Empire offends China is Taiwan. As Mao said in 1965, “Imperialism is afraid of China and of the Arabs. Israel and Formosa [Taiwan] are bases of imperialism in Asia. You are the gate of the great continent and we are the rear. They created Israel for you, and Formosa for us. Their goal is the same.”

In the ultimate audacity, Empire tried to open another wargate in Xinjiang, pretending like they were defending Chinese Muslims (a Venn diagram of people they hate). If you look at a map, you can see what they're doing, trying to destabilize the starting point of CPEC. Luckily none of this has worked on China, though Taiwan remains separate.

China considers Taiwan a part of China and says, “reunification is an inevitable trend in the course of national rejuvenation.” Quite cynically, America also considers Taiwan a part of China, and just strings them along like Ukraine. Just as Ukraine was used to poke the bear in Russia, Taiwan is being used to poke the dragon in China, and both will be thrown away like so much kindling. Empire could certainly destroy Taiwan like they have Ukraine, but they cannot defend it. Taiwan would be yet another war Empire can only profitably lose but cannot possibly win.

If you look at the potential US order of battle over Taiwan, they're clearly out of order. America alone is vastly outnumbered, and its supply lines would be stretched across an entire ocean.

Even if you include occupied states like Korea and Japan and vassals like Australia, White Empire is still outnumbered and outgunned. All the kings horses and all the kings men can't put this dumpster fire together again. The White Empire loses to men in Toyota Hiluxes, what hope do they have against an industrial superpower like China?

It's not just that China has more men and matériel than Empire, it has better trained men and higher technology (like hypersonics and drone swarms). I argue that China is a superior military to White Empire generally, but it's a moot point. They are certainly a superior military in China, including Taiwan.

Concentration

In his vital work On War, Clausewitz said, “there is no higher and simpler law of strategy than that of keeping one’s forces concentrated.” China is able to keep its forces concentrated around China because its strategic goals don't extend to global domination. They have both absolute superiority and ‘relative superiority at the decisive point’, in Clausewitzian terms.

On the other hand, Imperial forces are overextended across an empire, over-expended across multiple wars, and simply crumbling from depreciation and corruption. In the Art Of War, Sun Tzu said, “To be prepared everywhere is to be strong nowhere,” which describes White Empire now. They can still bomb refugee camps and hospitals, but have lost to Afghanistan, Russia, and Yemen in a row. They had absolute superiority once, but never had relative superiority against any resolute foe. Now they've lost both.

Today, America is not the best nor even the second-best military in the world, it's the third. China is the least tested, but they're the leading industrial superpower, why wouldn't they be the military industrial superpower too? Meanwhile Russia is the most tested, and has superior technology (hypersonics, drones) and better production. Hell, even Iran and Yemen have superior technology in vital areas. Furthermore, all of Empire's foes are able to concentrate their forces in a defensive posture, while Empire wastes their munitions bombing a concentration camp and offending the human conscience. Who do you think is on the right side of history here? Whereas the White Empire must offend the whole world, China just has to defend China. These are very different propositions. You can see this from their geographic positions. China is just chilling in China, while White Empire is in retreat across the world.