It's not inevitable, especially in the long run. Any case of china being uppity will occur in the near term, for simple demographic reasons--due to one-child policy (which has severely biased their population not just in age, but in gender), if you look at detailed demographics AND economic growth rates, the reason china is pushing so hard now is without an economic growth rate of 10+% or better per year, they will get old before they get rich. In terms of military capability, the same is true, demographically, their ability to wage war will begin to be substantially impacted within 10-15 years, and continue until 25-50 years after the bias is removed. Given their need for growth NOW (you think we have a baby boomer issue in terms of age bias, theirs is far worse) to support the future, and the severe impact in appropriately aged folks in 10-20years from now, AND their excess of military aged males NOW, any imperialistic actions will literally hve to occur in the next 10-15 years because after that, they will have economic and population issues that will limit their military abilities, both demographically and economically due to domestic requirements.