> Unlike the USA, China doesn't have a long track record of starting wars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Tibet_by_the_Peo...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Tibet_by_the_Peo...
Wikipedia suggests quite a few less: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_Uni... but still a lot.
I believe (but haven't checked) that the USA has started at least one war every year since 1945. This was true in the mid 2000s, it might not be now.
That you managed 3 (or at a push 4) versus a hundred or so is a great comparison in favour of my comment: China does NOT want a war. It's bad for business.