I don’t discount the idea this is proxy-time for China.
As for what could take place, just about anything.
This is a mess that has festered, and will continue to get worse.
Time to take China’s proxy off the playing board.
China is even ostensibly complaining now.
I can well believe that China did not comprehend evil of this depth. Focused evil for a purpose, yes. China showed it in Tibet to further its exploiting of that land for ostensibly good purposes, for example. But this degree of really deep, self adulating evil — mostly no. China now has its self willed monster. Who will shoot the rabid tiger on which it is riding? It must be us.