The main objective of China's Asia policy has always been to prevent the rise of an Asian rival or peer competitor to challenge its status as the Asia-Pacific's sole "Middle Kingdom." As an old Chinese saying goes, "'One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers."
What distinguishes China from its near-rivals, Japan and India, is its permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council and declared nuclear-weapon-state status, making it a far more important player in international forums and the sole Asian negotiating partner of the United States on global and regional security deliberations. The "multipolar" world sought by Beijing is based on an "inner core" that includes only China, the U.S. and Russia. Japan and India figure in more as allies of the U.S. and Russia or as subregional players than as independent poles.
The means adopted to achieve Beijing's Asia policy goals are a mix of balance of power and coercion, based on the classic strategic principle of "make the barbarians fight while you watch from the mountaintop" ("zuo shan guan hu dou").