Doesn't really matter that much if the Chinese steal the patent...

Doesn't really matter that much if the Chinese steal the patent info. I don't think the Chinese market is a target for most if not all Western battery makers. If some Chinese product which use the patent does however happen to get used by a Western company, then the patent protections will be enforced.

Any company that thinks it is going to "break into the Chinese market" should always be looked at with a high level of skepticism.