I didn't say China doesn't invade places. I said they don't invade places in the name of bringing democracy. In Tibet's case, it was about "restoring" China's borders (as it is with almost all Chinese incursions today).
A large part China's justification for their expansion into Tibet was about "liberating" the locals from a pretty harsh caste-based monarchy system.
Not exactly bringing democracy, but not far off it.
They replaced a dictatorship with a dictatorship, I would say that's not a good thing and not even close to democratization. Not that it has worked out well for western powers either.
The US replaces dictatorships with dictatorships in the name of democracy all the time. It has also replaced democracies with dictatorships in the name of democracy.
The modern equivalent is them trying to take over the South China sea so that they control all shipping through there as well. They just a bit too late to join in the colonization frenzy, but they would just have surely done it as any western country if they would have been in a position to do so. Humans are humans and by and large act the same way.
