Nowhere is China's growing reach more obvious than in Africa. President Xi Jinping recently returned from a trip during which he promised African officials $60 billion in new investment.

Beijing also has grown more active culturally, educationally and even militarily. For instance, China has participated in 16 U.N. peacekeeping missions in Africa and is planning to create its first base in Djibouti.

China's increasing role has created unease in Washington, especially since Beijing is willing to go in when the West stays out. But China has run into many of the same sorts of problems that faced America in the past.