Where China is aiming to re-create Marco Polo's ancient "Silk Road" that connected Europe to Asia,  caravans that transported spices and silk hundreds of years ago, a $1.4 trillion network of modern trading routes would be built to expand infrastructure and commerce.
The “Exceptional country” on the other hand expands its largest export, weapons - first and foremost, results of which we see in every day’s news.  There lies the difference.