They're eating our lunch. If you think China is a nice guy and compete fairly, you are wrong. China is dominating Asia, pulling away American allies, spreading its economic influence, fast. If we are ok, then we don't have to do anything.
That didn't seem to happen with the USSR, and that sentiment was very popular during the Cold War.
This is a very important question.
If you guys wanna be better than China, please do it, by being better yourselves, not by making your competitors worse.
That attitude is improper, specially for the most powerful country.
Dunno - I think that spheres of influence concept is extremely proper for the upcoming multipolar world.
Because they're not going to always be interested in living under American hegemony.