[senttoschool]

No, I believe this was going to happen no matter what.

It happened with the Japanese in the 80s/90s as well where American media vilified Japan because it thinks Japan will become more powerful than the US.

China is trying to climb its way out of the "cheap labor" economy and into a developed economy. The US and the west are trying its hardest to prevent this from happening and this includes using every tactic possible including propaganda, sanctions, etc.

[senttoschool]

1985 article: THE DANGER FROM JAPAN https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/28/magazine/the-danger-from-...

[ZeroGravitas]

Or 1986 Ron Howard comedy film with a Chinese/American title but about Japanese car manufacturers in the US:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gung_Ho_(film)

[tatrajim]

Under Xi Jinping China launched a series of security initiatives targeting outsiders. An emblematic case was that of Apple, whereby the Apple Book Store and iTunes Movie Store were abruptly shut down after prior legal approval.

"Apple Services Shut Down in China in Startling About-Face"

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/technology/apple-no-longe...

So, too, Wolf Warrior tactics against South Korea over China's anger at U.S. THAAD system, including the destruction of Lotte's entire business in China.

"One company [Lotte] is bearing the brunt of China's anger over U.S. missile system"

https://money.cnn.com/2017/03/07/news/china-lotte-thaad-sout...

Ironically, China adopted Wolf Warrior tactics in large part because the claim you make about the perceived threat of the U.S. treating China like Japan in the 1980s is now a commonplace cliche all over China, used to justify a host of aggressive policies. This hostile posture, overseen by Xi Jinping, has helped achieve the near impossible: political unanimity in the U.S. Congress against China.