I don’t understand how this is news to anyone. China is playing a long con game ever since the modern world order had settled. They instrumentalize capitalism against the west, keeping their corporations tightly aligned with the government and its objectives.
The first step was to appropriate the western technological advantage by providing cheap labor, but always in a partnership construct which allows them access to the actual know-how. This works/worked out perfectly for them, knowing the uncontrolled, solely motivated by greed, western corporations would be unable to resist the short term gains.
The next step was to create western economic dependence on the now largely outsourced manufacturing, giving them increasing leverage to buy into strategic assets all around the world, particularly in former third world regions.
Obviously the next step is to throw out the westerners now that they served their purpose and their economies depend on China. This allows them to build upon the acquired technological know-how and the secured assets, giving them eventual technological dominance over the rest of the world.
With the United States slowly collapsing in on itself the only hope left for the west is for Europe to get their shit together and truly integrate into an actual global player.