This distinction is far too subjective and biased. First of all, the vast majority of conflicts the US was involved in would not have been fought by regional p

This distinction is far too subjective and biased. First of all, the vast majority of conflicts the US was involved in would not have been fought by regional powers, or not with that intensity, see Libya, various conflicts in South America, etc... Second, when the US was in China's position, it did everything China does right now, with even more violence. The US annexed, failed to annex or dominate every one of it's neighbors until it relented. There has been no fundamental change in policy since then.