The means by which the People’s Republic of China is seeking to become a global power capable of competing with the United States have been various throughout the years and mainly based on economic actions that can tie China with other countries and allow it to exert influence in the area. The emergence as a global superpower seems to be one of the main Chinese aspirations now. To achieve this goal and finally challenge the US supremacy, China initiated a strategy consisting of investments and purchases in strategically located foreign ports and infrastructures, that permit China to expand in terms of naval and military power and shipping assets. Therefore, what at first glance can seem an economic move hides a bigger project. This paper aims to analyse how China is executing its strategy and what it means for international security, especially in its implications for the European Union, whose market is one of Beijing’s main targets.