I think what might be materially different was that while Japan was considered an economic threat, in some ways, similar to China, Japan was also an American ally. It's just a different fundamental level of trust and so things like joint partnerships are more possible. China, unfortunately under the yoke of the CCP, did not liberalize to an extent that was hoped for after the US advocated for them to join the World Trade Organization.
We really did them a huge favor there and it's so unfortunate that they used that against us when nobody in America has any issues or qualms with China besides their actions that they've taken largely on their own and without any prodding from the West.
Even in the case of Hong Kong and Taiwan, there is an easy to see world where China had democratized and nobody in the west would have given a damn about reunification, nor would we really need to have our military built up in the region.
North Korea was another problem there, which we can owe the existence of that pariah state and the wonton destruction it has imposed upon the people held hostage there, at the feet of the Chinese Communist Party and of course the Soviet Union too. Communists and other authoritarian ideological adherents did a loooooooooot of damage to the world and are still wreaking havoc.