China has more raw materials then the US? where?
I know they use soft power more effectively to gain access to raw materials -yes.
China has a YUGE population, and their model of central planing has gotten them this far, but now they have to move away from a command economy. There GDP is shrinking,and their middle class growth depends on that.
The Communist party is largely corrupt,and moving to full privitization has it's problems - but yes they are a long term rival.
What we don't need is them as a threat, but it looks like they are determined to militarize the South China sea,
and conquer/claim those resources.