Japan has cast her lot and fortune with that of the USA. They have fully capable navy of securing sealanes out to 1000 miles in any conflict that would have involved the former USSR.... My thoughts are simply that China will try to dominate any country she can and bluff until her hand is exposed. Reality check for North Korea, a proxy of China, is that any solution to this problem with the nukes there will further weaken China regionally as they will have to directly tie up resources for both the US and Japan. Given that France is the prime problem for America today, look for the dallying of the French and their negotiations with any potential enemy of the USA. I say we just destablize all trade partners France has in the Middle East and Africa and let economics do the rest; China will simply come around.