The PLA slaughtered and destroyed Tibetans and their culture in a way which would make Stalin seem like an amateur. There are no more “legitimate complaints” (that's so People's Dailyish) since Beijing has been wise enough to resettle Han Chinese all over Tibet.
About rogue nations, when did the UK or US ever supply countries with WMD technology to tie down other democratic countries?? China has done that with Pakistan, North Korea and Iran and still continue to. China hasn't had to go to war in the past two decades because its rogue proxies keep the likes of India, Japan, South Korea and the US in check.
No one is disputing China's progress; but then Nazi Germany also made a lot of progress using a good number of criterion that you mentioned-improvement in infrastructure and national confidence.
What matters now is what is China's intentions today. Obviously, China has greater leverage today than she did durnig the Korean War, the War with India and I even with Russia. But today, China is trying to settle those disputes. She is negotiating with Vietnam high speed rail projects, negotiating with Russia pipelines projects, etc. Hardly sounds like a nation making waves does it? And regular flights between China and Taiwan are opening up. So, yes, I do believe what I am writing.
And did you miss the part about comparing China's actions today towards Tibet and the Xighurs to what Russia did with Georgia a couple years ago and with Chechnya 10 years ago? Two years ago, a mob of angry Xighurs roamed the streets with meat cleavers and hacked to death over a hundred Chinese citizens. In response, the Chinese sent in 20,000 riot police. Not tanks and bombers. Yet, the world still criticized China for it. What are they to do then?
As far as Tibet, there are more Tibetians living and working across China than actually living in Tibet. And China have been working to make ammends with Tibet, the only expectation is that they are a part of China. I talked to a person who was from a minority people group of China (it was right here in the US when I talked to him) and he readily admitted that many minority groups in China benefit something similar to affirmative action here in America.
As far as Pakistan, North Korea and Iran, keep in mind, China had helped Pakistan to help counter India and North Korea to antagonize the US. But that was in the past, and much less so today. But what advantage does China today have in helping Pakistan in antagonizing the West? And especially North Korea? What value does North Korea add to China? The reality is, China doesn't want to antagonize the West by supporting nations that are further behind than China.
As far as Iran goes, keep in mind, China wants her oil. What reason does China have to antagonize a part of the world (the West and Japan and South Korea) that has technology that she (China) wants?
The negative perception of China by the West is many times simply wrong. Take the currency issue for example. The Chinese know that a currency appreciation gives her greater buying power on the world stage and helps tackle inflation within her own country. Yet, the difference is she insists that it be done gradually so as not disrupt employment. Yet, many in the West perceive this gradual approach as foot dragging or avoiding currency appreciation altogether. But that isn't true at all.
So, yes, I do believe what I am writing.
Did you know, that right here in America, journalists practice sensationlist journalism? I saw a news program once where they reported about GM pick up trucks exploded on impact. They couldn't get their test vehicle to blow up in a crash, so they had an automatic torch to set it off. General motors studied the tape and saw a slight torch ignite and blew the lid off of the whole story. Needless to say, this embarassed the news network as they had no choice but to admit to sensationalism journalism.
And I'm sure there are pet issues, apart from China, where you could point to journalist sensationalizing a story. Well, this is true of China as well. I've talked to people who are from China who are appalled at the perception that Western media gives about China.
I even saw a journalist being arrested during the 2008 Olympics as supposed proof of China's silence of journalists. Yet, the journalist, while he was being arrested did all the talking. And the camera was rolling. The police tried to block the camera with their hands, but the filming still went on.
The media, in many ways picks and choose a topic and perspective, in large part, as a result of what the public wants to hear. There are an equal number of news sources that speak well of China, but on the FR, they would be accused of either left wing commies or sell out business interests "Pandering to the Chicoms".
And power is being disipated. While people cannot rally for the overthrow of the government, there are, as I mentioned, nearly 100,000 protests every year, something that would have been unthinkable 30 years ago. Even the founder of Alibaba, who was interviewed by Diane sawyer said something critical of the government. And right in front of Diane Sawyer, said had he said what he said 10 years ago, he would have been arrested. Today, he is able to say what he said (today be honest, I can't remember what it was he said).
So, once again, while China is not yet a democracy, central powers don't have the control they once did and is becoming much less so. Where China still have considerable power that it once had, is the power of eminent domain. Something that most people in China still support as they see the building of infrastructure necessary and good for the long term well being of their country.