In fairness, at a similar stage in its development, the US was seizing the Philippines from Spain, along with Cuba and Puerto Rico - expansionism far afield - and a little later on was doing a genocide in Vietnam. True, China is bad news for everybody, and worst for these nearby weak states, but in context of the previous superpower, its positively shy and retiring.
China is walking loudly and carrying a small stick. I don't think their expansion is comparable. They're liable to get encircled before they can project force.
