I want to give my input in this. China doesn't want Islamic terrorism to grow on its home soil which is a threat to national security, so they're tightening up security in Xinjiang. This is understandable to keep citizens safe. The re-education camps for Muslims are exaggerated by western media...
Yes, China got a head start because they weren't colonized, but the Japanese invasion set the country back with most of its infrastructure destroyed and economy in shatters.
China doesn't care if you're an Islamic or Christian country. They want allies and friends. That's why they're building up Pakistan and want to fck India up. As for Australia, it's better to have a good relationship with both big economies no need to stir things up.
I don't believe these GDP projections until the real numbers are given. Last year, IMF projected China to grow 6.5 and India to grow 7.2. The actual results were 6.9 for China and 6.5 for India in 2017, so I'll wait until the year is over.