Is China the Exception?

Throughout history countries except the oil countries that reached $6,000 GDP per capital has transformed to somewhat democratic society. When the Chinese official claim GDP per capital was $6100, some speculate the real number is lower. Nevertheless, China is on the edge of reaching this theoretical transition point. But is China the exception?
On one hand, China's middle class is growing, making the voice of pursuit of democracy loader. On the other hand, due to China's imbalance of development, the silent majority doesn't feel nearly the same way as the middle class feels. Furthermore, the ruling class controls 90% of country's economy, almost the entire government, and the military. Which compare to countries that made through the democratic transition, China has the weakest force pushing forward and the strongest force pushing against. In addition, China's regime over the years has successfully built the ideological system that things like democracy, freedom, and liberty, or even election are believed to be bad by many if not majority of its people. Under such circumstance, China's democratic transformation will be harder than many can, or want to, imagine.
But ultimately, will China ever become a democracy? The question isn't as silly as it sounds. Believe or not, China is special: for example, out of all early civilizations, China is the only one that didn't develop a religion. Will history repeat itself making China the only modern country that won't have democracy? Well, I'll hold this tought and come back to check it in 15 years. Hopefully Blogger still exists.