The Chinese are now lightyears ahead of the United States with regards to influence in the region.
And in a few months, they'll have the overland infrastructure to do some incredibly nasty things. People who wonder how it was that Hitler overwhelmed France so rapidly, would look at this situation, and see that this situation is an absolute invitation to something on an even grander scale, done far more quickly. Imagine the events of Summer 1940, compressed into less than one week!