Chinese mentality
Lets list a few habits China had for long time:
1. For thousands years, Chinese always have built walls to keep those out from attacking them. Today in internet era, China has firewalls. When things changes China likes to hide and close the door, stay out of it. China does not like new ideas and fear of changes. This is the mind set especially when China is weak.
2. When China is relatively strong and rich, China likes to show off and acting to get "Face". In history "Zheng He" went to all the way to India ocean and East Africa with huge fleet and tens of thousands of army. What did they do? NOTHING !! Just gave a lot of gifts to local people to SHOW OFF.
Western people are different. When they are strong, they come and conquer. They rob your wealth and kill the local and take over land. Japan attacked Pear Harbor, The US chased to Japan's homeland and bombed the shit out it. When Taliban attache the highest building in New York, the US chased to the remote mountains and try dig those out of holes of the muddle.
Through out the many thousands of China's history, how many years were China ruled by Han Chinese? Not many. Does that tell you anything?