One of the reasons that WW I started when it did was that Germany estimated that it’s relative military power versus France and Russia was as good as it was going to get and would likely decline.
Very true. “Let’s hit ‘em now, while we still got the muscle.”
The leaders of China could be delusional enough.
But China prospered while the west saw them as friendly.
Hard to see them seeing an advantage in kinetic warfare, while their influence and commercial ties to Taiwan are on the rise...