China has a voracious appetite for foreign natural resources to power its economic growth, a hunger shown by recent investment forays into continents as far apart as America, Africa and Australia.
When approved by local regulators, these investments in energy reserves and mines are a legitimate way for a rising power to make its presence felt abroad. But China also seeks to expand its land and maritime borders. This gives the world's most populous nation the character of a status quo power and a revisionist state.
As Beijing prepares for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic on October 1, its rapid ascent as an influential player in global affairs raises questions about the nature of the Chinese state and the way it is evolving.
On the one hand, China shows acceptance of the global and regional order through is rising membership of international agencies.
For example, its share of the global market for export goods is more than 9 per cent, nearly treble its 3.5 per cent share in 1999, two years before it joined the World Trade Organisation. China surpassed Germany to become the world's leading exporter earlier this year and its exports are projected to account for 12 per cent of global trade by 2014.
To continue this rapid commercial expansion, China needs a stable international environment in which countries can compete economically without the disruption of military conflict. In line with its pledge of peaceful development, China has become increasingly involved with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other regional groupings in Asia over the past decade.