I've read a few things suggesting that with the Russian population shrinking and the growth of both the Chinese population and their new found wealth (which some say is an illusion) that there will be trouble on the China/Russia border, among the more than a dozen territorial disputes China is involved in.
I read that there is already a good number of illegal Chinese in the Russian Far East territories. The population density in the Russian regions right above China is very-very low. I am sure China would pounce on it if it could.
Another observation from the Pew data. South Koreans put a concern about spreading of nuclear weapons very low on their priority list. Pollution and “growing gap between the rich and poor” rate quite higher. I think this partially explains why North Korea was allowed to play so much with nukes. South Koreans don’t believe that they would be used against them and in a case of unification, they’d get nuclear status right away. Cynical, and I think misguided on their part. I would not trust crazed dictators. Japan rightfully disagrees as well: it has 3 times bigger concern about nukes than S.Korea.
China and Russia each have an imbalance of the sexes of childbearing age. Perhaps the surplus of Chinese men will take Russian wives and change the complexion of both countries. Pootypoot will then have something to worry about.
There is another twist to that demographic proposition. Because of their family policies, China is not only long on people, they are doubly long on men.
Russia, on the other hand, Russia's shrinking population is largely a function of males dying early. There is an over-supply of women.
The time may come when the Chinese invade Siberia looking, not for land or resources, but for a mate.