Excerpts from a speech by the Jack Straw, British Foreign Secretary:
As China's weight builds and its impact around the globe gets deeper, we have a greater and greater interest in the kind of international actor that China is becoming. And we have a greater and greater interest in its continuing economic success.......

we want China to work together with its key Western partners as a responsible and leading member of the international community, strengthening the international norms and systems which protect our vital interests, and dealing with the common challenges of this century; and internally, we want China to pursue progressive political and economic reforms which should enable it successfully to manage the risks of its extremely rapid development.....

First, what do I mean by a responsible and leading member of the international community? In basic terms, it is a leading country which defines its interests broadly, as being served through sustaining the integrity of the overall international system, rather than narrowly, as being served by securing short-term bilateral advantage. It is a partner which plays by the rules of global business; contributes to international security and stability; looks for co-operative and market-oriented ways to secure energy supplies; and works with others to promote sustainable development and good governance around the globe....

The second of my points concerns the way in which China will manage the risks of its own rapid development. The stark truth is that China has become such an integral part of the global economic landscape that were it to fail in this area, the consequences for all of us would be severe.........

In other words, I suggest that, wider political participation, freedom of expression, and rule of law are a force for stability rather than fragmentation.