were i chinas leadership, i would invade south korea and take over just to be done with intel and evade the american cia and nsa and oni. granted there are mandated back doors, but once south korea is seized, it wouldn't be much of anything to find out what those back doors are and remove them.
too much progress might bite south korea in the rear.
the time table for doing this would be after the 2nd chinese air craft carrier has completed sea trials.
japan would be next through hostile negotiations with the united states during the korean invasion, to take over the security of japan as an allied partner during world war 2.
the 2nd carrier would complete the power base required to control the region and all shipping. a 3rd carrier would be doom ensured as all of south korea could be effectively cut off and north korean leadership be cast aside and the whole of korea assimilated. pray some kind of deal isn't worked out with russia to have their carrier brought in to seal the fate of the korean assimilation.
the u.s. would be powerless to stop it. the chinese could send the americans into a great depression and a russian alliance would seal off the far east from the west, japan could just be over run after a short carpet bombing of every american base in japan. okinawa could even be isolated first and saved for last or eliminated first as part of a stranglehold net to be formed around japan to isolate it from any help.