The baddest he can possibly be is only 1/4th his China equivalent.
And, in just a few years, he'll merely be 1/8th his Chinese counterpart.
China is in the midst of their "wild west expansion", but with 21st century technology. No covered wagons. Just oil, coal, and a few windmills for show, and a few solar cells for their boom boxes. And promise after promise after...
Just wait until they shift it into high gear after their highway construction reaches a useful density. Their expansion is incredible and unprecedented.
That's why they're doing what they're doing in the Spratley Islands. Let no one mess with their oil drilling when they begin. And we shouldn't.