As much as you admire the hypocrisy that is the US government, that goes way back to the declaration of independence when declaring "life, liberty, and pursue of happiness" while practicing slavery.
Abe Lincoln once said," If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that". So in China's case, it could rise peacefully than it would do it, if it could rise through conflict then it would do it. But rise, just like preserving the union in the first case, is the priority.
There is no reason or need to hold Chinese government to any higher moral standard than the US or any government. Like any successful power, China is only interested in actual value and gain, rest is just smoke and screen. If not so, then it would have no business or could become a new power. Just look at all of the BS US pulled from Iraq War to the PRISM Project, are those morally justified? However,that is was expected of a world power like US so there is no difference for China.
The first global power in my opinion was GB because it had the technology and it controlled the world's trade, economy, and 25% of the territory for essentially 150 years. US dominance will probably be probably be around 100 years counting from post WWII. Before that, all of the regional powers from Romans to Chinese empire held the control of the region in the hundreds of years at a time, much longer than the history of US dominance.
So I find it funny how Americans bought too much into their own history book and think that it is the greatest empire on earth. It is as dominant as Romans in its glory days but no where near as long term yet.