The Chinese need natural resources, but more importantly, they need Lebensraum. So, what country has lots of land area, is sparsely populated, and has natural resources aplenty?
Australia.
That's where their roving eyes will come to rest sometime in the next 20 or so years, once the USA collapses upon itself in debt and depravity.
They need only look north for oil, timber and mineral resources in a sparsely population region. And they don’t need a blue water navy to reach it. Been thinking for years that China is eventually going to make a play eastern Russia. They may have common adversaries at the moment, but they are not friends.
