Keep a cool head and maintain a low profile. Never take the lead - but aim to do something big.

The line encapsulates a strategic posture often associated with Deng Xiaoping’s approach to China’s external relations and modernization: avoid conspicuous leadership or ideological crusading, concentrate on internal development, and pursue long-term national strengthening. “Keep a cool head” suggests pragmatic, non-emotional decision-making; “maintain a low profile” implies minimizing international friction and expectations while capabilities are still being built. The final clause—“aim to do something big”—frames restraint not as passivity but as a means to enable ambitious outcomes over time. In this reading, modesty in posture is paired with largeness in ultimate objectives.