China looks as if she'd team up with anyone on any specific project as long as there was money in it for her. But she seems far more interested in controlling her own internal growth than having the imperialistic ambitions so characteristic of the US and Russia.

They all seem like Mafia families. If a smaller country signs favorable trade agreements with a larger nation, then in any regional dispute "he's wid me" carries some weight. There's no doubt in my mind that someone would have invaded Cuba had not the USSR taken her under it's wing.

But China seems to be aware she's the most powerful nation in the world in many ways. She has modern weapons and one helluva lot of people, many of whom can live, march and fight on next to nothing. American soldiers can be superb, but living with that much hardship isn't a part of this culture. American weapon systems tend to be prima donnas, very expensive and needing a lot of care and feeding. I don't know how may insurgents can be trained for the cost of one Osprey, but it's gotta be a bunch. And in a full-scale combat situation I believe Ospreys would fall like a fleet of Graf Zeppelins flying over a forest fire.

That is all nothing but my opinion. Not worth much, really.

Arf