China wants the US intact...as a new homeland for Chinese. They can take the grid down using cyber attacks, then annihilate all the non-Chinese living in the US. The grid can be restarted. An EMP would cause catastrophic damage to the grid that could take years to rebuild/replace. China doesn't have years. Their problems are more urgent.
Does anyone think the Chinese economic and demographic problems now are so severe and so existential that they may attempt some previously unthinkable act to improve their position? Could that be what this is about?
that's a great assessment. China just has to threaten exposure of politicians and other powerful figures or threaten to nuke a couple of cities and I bet people in power will rollover like dogs if they thought it would get them better positions in the new Chimerica.