Russia is a larger security threat to the U.S and allies than China

You clearly misunderstand the political situation in China. The reason why the Chinese government is so "private" is because they do not want to reveal any details about their lives. Many have accepts bribes, have been involved in embezzlement and participated in scandals. This is how the elements in the Chinese government make millions of dollars. Unfortunately, this creates a unique situation since there is virtually no way to drive these corrupt politicians out of power, thus weakening the state. Also, the Chinese government grants a bit of too much freedom, possibly a bit more than the United States. For example, many Chinese people drive without having ever taken a driving test. The Chinese police have full knowledge about this, but it doesn't bother to even warn the participants in this illegal act. Also, if you speed, the police won't pursue you. Maybe 1 percent of the time you may receive a ticket through the mail, but that's just about it. Any clamp down would result in protest and the Chinese government would not last long. Due to this fact, therefore, the government is unable to mobilize and direct an attack against America. The land grabs in the South China Sea is simply a PR stunt and an ego booster, an attempt to turn the people's attention from the corrupt lives of the Chinese government officials and helping the politician feel good for themselves. The reason why they are grabbing land from an American ally? China is boxed by geographical features around it, providing a very small amount of choices.The oil-rich islands provide the only convenient target to choose. Like I said before in my first argument, the social culture of China is becoming more of a Western view. The people of China are interested in making money and achieving its commercial goals. They no longer care for national patriotism or any sense of allegiance to their leaders. The Chinese are willing to build an economic empire and have no guts to build a territorial empire. Due to the lack of interest in military conquest, China is a loner in the world. It has no allies. China does have some advanced weapons programs, but they are progressing along very slowly. For example, China does have the ability to track U.S. Navy ships around the world. Meanwhile, the United States has a strong, 21st century arsenal and would easily scare the daylights out of any Chinese grunt(i.e. Norad knows where every plane and ship is located in the world). This fact also proves why the Chinese are no threat to America. Meanwhile, in case you weren't keeping up with the news, the Ukraine, one of the nations that is currently being threatened by Russia, is an American ally, thus, according to your analogy, is a "friend". Not only is you "friend" is getting pickpocketed, he is also getting beaten up and thrown around. This approach is very similar to Hitler's approach before WWII. Everyone thought Hitler wasn't a threat, even though he was making territorial grabs all over the place. This is a classical way to not only battle-harden the troops but also achieve a secure position to attack your primary targets. Also, Hitler's clamp down on anything that was not Pro-Hitler is something that Putin is doing right now. The Russian government is becoming increasingly oppressive while China is loosening its grip and it is relaxing. The reason Putin is becoming more oppressive is because of a number of sanctions against. These sanctions are providing an opportunity for Putin to blame the West, rally his citizens underneath him, who now hate the West, and gain an ever-more powerful authoritarian rule. This also gives him the opportunity to block out opposing rivals without the uproar of the people, further making his base of power over Russia even strong. These events are what similarly happened in Nazi Germany under Hitler rule. Russia has a sizable nuclear arsenal, which can be deployed anywhere in the world within minutes. China has no capabilities like this. Russia is using crises like the Ukrainian crisis to their advantage. They can, at any time threaten to cause a humanitarian disaster by detonating a bunch of nukes in the area, effectively drawing the Americans into the crisis. This is the reason why Russia is preparing itself for battle. It first shifted its army's focus into the region. Then it picked up its military activity in the skies. Now, Putin recently ordered that the Northern Fleet to be stationed in the Black Sea. Unfortunately, Washington D.C. and you, my friend have only focused on the economic situation of Russia and hopes that (according to Forbes) "the leaders in Moscow will act 'rationally'". This is the same mistake that was made before WWI and WWII. It's just a matter of time before Putin blows this bluff with nuke. Do not be ignorant. Do not repeat history. Russia is the REAL threat. China is simply trying to cover up its scandals and bribes and boost its own ego. It poses no threat.