Intending to get top class, old china! (6)
I believe the answer is:
aiming
'intending' is the definition.
(aiming is a kind of intending)
'get top class old china' is the wordplay.
'get' says to put letters next to each other.
'top class' becomes 'AI' (resembles Am, old-fashioned term meaning excellent).
'old china' becomes 'ming' (Chinese porcelain from the Ming dynasty. I am not sure about the 'old' bit.).
'ai' next to 'ming' is 'AIMING'.
'to' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for aiming that I've seen before include "Directing a blow" , "Directing one's efforts" , "Directing, a missile perhaps" , "Pointing (a weapon)" , "Directing towards a goal" .)