The 21st Century Satan

[Strike For The South]

Post WW2. You may notice a major shortage of open tussles between any two "first rate" powers. Probably something to do with the way two World Wars taught strategists and decision-makers a few lessons concerning what kind of opponent it is sensible to fight with, not that the nukes hurt either.

Quite simply, this isn't the ******* Middle Ages anymore. Access to resources etc. isn't very well realized by military power and the seizure of real estate; it generally works much better to instead send in people with suits and briefcases full of cash and enticing contracts. Seems to be working pretty well in Africa too.

Plus China's kind of short of the actual ability to expand territorially to about enywhere else than the damn Russian Siberia, which would be A) kind of pointless B) really, really dangerous. I sincerely doubt if they're stupid enough they would commit the patent strategic error of sending the tanks into the hornets' nest of Central Asia, rife with tinpot dictators in cahoots with the US and/or Russia, intractable hill tribes armed up to their turbans, and potentially volatile religious currents.

To the south, into India and SE Asia ? It's bloody mountains in the way, India has nukes and odds are a Vietnam trip would not turn out very well. Plus there's nothing worth the gamble down there anyway AFAIK.

The sea, Taiwan and Japan ? They need to build up a real navy and air force first (something which they're quite far away enough ATM), and then ask themselves if they really want to pick a fight with at least the US and quite possibly a big chunk of the wole NATO...

quit making sense