China raised regional concern last year with its tough stance in disputes over islands in the South and East China Seas. Worries about China's military buildup and aggressive diplomacy are bolstering its neighbors' desire to see Washington stay committed to the region. "China has undone a lot of the good of its 'smile diplomacy'...trying to reassure the region that a rising China is not a threatening China," said Jeffrey Kingston of Temple University, Japan Campus. "Now people are reconsidering that....In Southeast Asia and Japan, there's a greater sense of appreciation for the U.S. presence as a counter-balance to China's military power."