Are the Chinese becoming soft power imperialists?

At this point in time, it seems almost unquestionable that there was some Russian interference in the 2016 election. Interestingly, it seems as if China has burrowed a page out of the book that the Americans and other states were using even before the Russians in 2016. China is historically known as a people who did not wish to impose their ideals on others, in fact they built the great wall to keep others out and themselves separate from other nations.

Only this week an Australian senator was forced to resign amid accusations that he was taking Chinese funds in exchange for him furthering Chinese interests in Australia. Germany and New Zealand have also made similar claims. Their presence in Africa is also rapidly expanding with 13  large infrastructural projects in 13 different countries and several arms agreements going on at the moment.  

This may seem trivial on the surface, however when we consider China’s huge economic growth over the past few years it starts to become more alarming. One wonders what their intentions are and how they could affect the global community economically and otherwise. Now that Trump is in power thanks in part to the Russians, certain things with potentially significant ramifications remain up in the air. ”As the rising superpower, China has an appetite to shape the rules of global engagement—rules created largely by America and Western Europe and routinely invoked by them to justify their own actions.” 

https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21732524-china-manipulating-decision-makers-western-democracies-best-defence