This archive report was first published on 3 July 2020.
As the United States retreats from its global leadership role, China is increasingly taking on conflicts around the world, from the Himalayas to small tropical islands and tense Western capitals.
China's imposition of a controversial security law in Hong Kong, defying criticism from the West, is the latest example of its rising confidence as a global superpower.
President Xi Jinping's nationalist drive to return China to its rightful place of dominance in the world is seen as a key factor behind this assertive foreign policy.
US President Donald Trump's America First policies and the ongoing trade war with China have also contributed to the escalating tensions.
"There is a sense that the time has come for China to claim its spot under the sun," said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
China's territorial disputes with its neighbors have been a major source of conflict, including a deadly clash with Indian troops in the Himalayas last month.
China has also stepped up its claims to the South China Sea, building artificial islands and establishing a heavy military presence.
Naval drills near the Paracels, an archipelago in the sea also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, have stoked tensions further.
China's relations with Western nations have also plummeted, with the country adopting increasingly strident diplomatic tactics.
The coronavirus pandemic initially forced China into a diplomatic corner, but it has since gone on the offensive, targeting Australia and other Western nations.
China has slapped trade sanctions on Australian goods and issued intimidatory comments, drawing accusations of economic coercion.
China's confidence has also carried over into its response to scrutiny of its human rights record, with Beijing boasting the support of more than 50 countries at the UN Human Rights Council.
"Gone are the days when the Chinese depended on the whims of others to survive," said Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of Beijing's office for Hong Kong affairs.
