Information for visa & application form

I have a couple of questions about the visa, Questions 2.5 / 2.8 / 2.9 about the travel information and phone numbers I will be visiting in China is this necessary to fill out. I dont have the ticket or the hotel information yet, and if I am staying in a hotel do I need the information about the person I am going to be with during my stay in China. I also have a question about safety while I will be there, is it safe for American tourist to travel to China? I have been hearing some things about China and America that could leave someone wondering if they should travel over there. thanks for any info!