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One thing to keep in mind with China is that while those outside of China see an aggressive state confronting its neighbors, China sees itself as center of the world, surrounded by potential enemies which need to be deterred or neutralized. In some respects, their geopolitical situation is like Prussia/Germany before 1945, where the desire to be strong enough to face all their potential enemies made them a threat to any one or more of those states.
And, as the rise of Germany led to a rapprochement between France and the UK and an alliance between France and Russia, China's rise and actions are forcing many of its neighbors to choose sides, or at least improve relations. I doubt, for example, that Mongolia sent troops to serve in the US-led coalition in Iraq simply out of a commitment to improving world peace.
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