Fred Stakelback of the Center for Security Policy has it right when he says
The belief that economic empowerment alone will eventually force Beijing to embrace democratization, thus eliminating the growing China threat, is based on wishful thinking, not fact. Ironically, economic empowerment has had the opposite effect, giving Beijing a means to project economic, political and military influence well beyond Asia.
Stakelback's article discusses China's emerging foreign policy strategy and especially China's strong interest in the Middle East to meet its burgeoning oil needs