Opinion | One lion that doesn't want to be king of the jungle

Evoking Napoleon Bonaparte, President Xi Jinping proclaimed while in France last week, that "the sleeping lion" of China has awoken. But, unlike others of the species, this lion would be "peaceful, pleasant, and civilised".

Xi's decision to revive the quote often attributed to Napoleon more than two centuries ago announced a shift in China's foreign policy that is likely to accelerate, raising expectations and concerns alike that the China will be more confident and assertive on international issues.

It signalled that China would no longer be shy about staking its claims in controversial matters, be they territorial disputes with neighbouring countries or carving out its place in the international arena. It also reflected Xi's own personal outlook. Since coming to power in November 2012, he has been more forthcoming and forceful than his predecessors, not only on international issues, but also on domestic affairs.

Since China started to open its doors to the world in the late 1970s, Communist Party leaders have religiously followed Deng Xiaoping's motto on foreign affairs: "Bide one's time and never strive to be No 1."

During his own time in office, Jiang Zemin similarly trumpeted the folksy phrase "keeping quiet will help you make a fortune" to illustrate his foreign policy outlook.

But China could not afford to keep quiet over the decade Hu Jintao was in power, as its economy expanded to become the world's second largest and its businesses scoured the globe for sources of energy and raw materials.

In direct response to international concerns about Beijing's growing power, Hu and other Chinese leaders started to preach that China was committed to a "peaceful rise".