China's approach has a lot to do with historical context and some really hard lessons. Like what happens if you don't take the necessary measures to make sure you're strong and strategically positioned so other people can't blockade you. In case you don't know what happens: you get colonized, other countries kidnap your heads of state until you give them land concessions, and you get pummeled into accepting opium imports. Don't think it's just U.K. and France. The U.S. is guilty too.

And they also destroy everything in their path: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Summer_Palace