I would say it is actually the opposite. China treating the Western nations and their sepoys with respect, in their eyes, shows weakness because the West know they are not deserving of attention, much less respect. I think subconsciously the West understands they lack a fundamental part of civilized behavior and have only gotten where they are through the most underhanded and genocidal strategies.
By showing them respect, China displays ignorance of the West's culture and history and a colonized mentality (believing the white man, their overlords, are more virtuous than they are). How can Westerners respect China if China cannot even recognize them as the scum they are?
