Oh yeah. It's happening even now.

And that is not even the full extent of China's ambitions. They already regard pretty much everything from the eastern edge of the Urals to north of the Amur River – also known to you and me, and everyone else, as "Siberia" – as part of a "Greater Zhong Guo". They make no secret whatsoever about intending to take over ALL of that enormous territory. And they have the sheer numbers to do it, too.

The Russians are terrified of this, even if they do not admit it. And they know that while their military has the edge in terms of technology, fighting skill, and experience, the ChiComs are not far behind.

China has some serious structural problems right now that are only slowly being addressed. But every really big empire usually takes a long time to unravel, and the Chinese are no exception to that rule.

But unlike the other colonial powers they Chinese are communists so have absolutely nothing to offer but gulgas and starvation. So they'll be chased out.

I am considerably less sanguine. Africans are not known for their ability to resist and repel foreign invaders – the entire history of colonisation of their continent says that Africans are more interested in fighting among themselves than in throwing back outsiders. And the Chinese have no qualms whatsoever about using their military to kill people and break things. As you say, they are serious racists – far more so than any Western nation – and will certainly not have problems with enforcing their own form of state-led capitalism using bayonets and guns.

Didact,

I haven't heard about exporting 100 million to Africa. Yeah good luck with that.
To be cold, the Chinese (like anyone else I suppose) are insufferable, but absolutely hard ass, rascists. I already know that the Africans and Chinese will get involved in so many fight that the chicoms will send in the army to bust heads. But unlike the other colonial powers they Chinese are communists so have absolutely nothing to offer but gulgas and starvation. So they'll be chased out.
xavoer

1) China doesn't have a 5000 year old culture anymore

It's true that significant parts of that culture were severely damaged by Mao – may he burn in Hell for what he did.

4) The social credit system will ultimately fail in an epic fashion

It will, eventually, yes. But for now it is going to be an utter disaster for millions of people and will wreck their lives quite thoroughly.

The problem is that the West has really no leg to stand on when it comes to such madness. Big Social is even worse in almost every way.

the chicom will engage in some reckless adventurism to distract the population from the dismal economic performance, the tarrif war they're losing and the fraying social compact.

I'd say that is virtually guaranteed. We already know that the Chinese are looking to subjugate numerous Dirt World nations through their One Belt One Road initiative. They are looking to settle at least 100 million colonists in Africa – which as far as I know is the largest and most ambitious planned colonisation program in all of human history. Foreign adventurism and imperialism is the next logical step – and the Chinese themselves have seen in their own long history that this never ends well.

That won't stop them from making the same mistake again, though.

Dire Badge,

The mark need not be a chip or ID card but rather an attitude that embraces evil.

1) China doesn't have a 5000 year old culture anymore. Mao nuked it twice: the Great leap forward and the Cultural revolution and what everyone has are the post apocolyptic shards that the chicoms pick and choose to maintain their mandate of heaven and the youth are so apathetic to the point of acedia.
TL;DR the skin suit had completely rotted away
2) John C Wright has pointed out that the chicom did something truly evil: they made the Chinese hate having families and this from a culture that delighted in large families and have the most sophiscated names for familal relations
3) The economy: can I suggest the twitter feed of @Bladingsworld? He's a prof now based in Hong Kong but spend many years in China. He provides data that you as a mathematician with long experince in the financial industry will find quite useful
4) The social credit system will ultimately fail in an epic fashion. The Chinese have very long experience and memories of rulers imposing insufferable puritanism stemming from moral panics or smug moralism. They'll find way to play along and then game it to irrelevance.
I worry, that the chicom will engage in some reckless adventurism to distract the population from the dismal economic performance, the tarrif war they're losing and the fraying social compact.
xavier