The least risky and thus most attractive way for China to become Asia’s hegemon is simply to grow stronger and eventually, through the sheer weight of its power, overwhelm any realistic coalition that could form to check its ambitions. Since this strategy relies on continued growth, a rising power like China has an incentive to avoid a major conflict with the established powers because such a war would imperil its favorable trajectory. Left undisturbed, it will only grow stronger and thus better positioned to fight in the future.
