I think there's some truth in this, based on China's long history (back to the Great Fleet and Zheng He, at least), so I hope it's the end goal (cooperation).

China is growing its economy, with some questionable practices (as compared to the suppositions of Western intellectual property, human rights, etc, and the so-called West has its own versions of shady business and politics), but how much of this is going to be able to continue is going to depend on a future that is heading toward huge conflict over politics and resources. If China lets Taiwan go and float off into the bosom of the West, or puts all of its investments into non-military growth, everyone is happy. It's understandable that China would see the USA as a threat: that's what the colonialist mentality always projects as a negotiating tactic. For the purpose of market participation, China has had to overtly accept that the US political rhetoric was just that: rhetoric. Africa changes the perspective, though. Most Americans don't realize how much oil comes from Nigeria. It just doesn't come up in our propaganda stream.

The USA has chosen to jump into Ukraine with both left feet, thanks to Russia's vulnerabilities, but the Big Money that runs NATO (and invested in Russia) doesn't want a real superpower war. The whole Euro-centric philosophy has been to pursue wasteful Growth with an eventual moderation through conventional war, with no actual collective purpose for humanity in mind.

China scares the hell out of Big Money's owners because it has actual plans and education systems that are based on having a future.

The West has none. Everything is based on a blind pursuit of consumption (including the consumption of our own human lives until everyone is an empty husk).

Everyone needs to pause and discuss the difference between leadership and bullying, but how can we sell it?