The Chinese know this and so do the Russians. They are PRETENDING to be offended and all that just to make it look like Ovomit is a world leader of a once great country but under His regime, it's a laughing stock...
WW III won’t start over this. China still does not have a sufficiently large blue-water navy.
Money is on getting a sufficiently large presence of the Chinese in the Persian Gulf region, to swoop in and “pacify” the smoldering conflict which promises to get very hot very quickly.
Why the Middle East? The access to relatively cheap oil, especially after the countries involved are invaded and colonized.
And China is looking for colonies.
Genghis Khan did it all back in the 13th Century, but he wasn’t after oil, just gold. The Muslims suffered greatly for their resistance then. Islam was nearly crushed altogether.
Nearly crushed, but not obliterated totally.
Don’t expect the Chinese to make the same mistake Genghis Khan did.