[War] Timeline thinking

[Michael Downey]

Here is my idea for Asia:

China: The PRC is now regarded as an economic and military superpower,
though is still kept in check by superior US technology and the
carriers of the USN Pacific Fleet, which the PLAN lacks. Taiwan still
remains the ROC, though Taipei is becoming nervous due to the extreme
strength of the mainland military. Domestically, the Chinese middle
class has grown by a significant amount. The CCP is finding it hard to
maintain its total grip on political power, due to the demands for
better representation from the middle class and their own
unwillingness to conduct a hard crackdown. China also hasn't made the
same efforts as the Western nations to end their dependence on oil,
which is starting to slow down their economy.

Japan: Closer trade ties with China have boosted Japan out of the
slump their economy faced when the bubble burst, but there is still a
great deal of lingering distrust between the two nations. Calls are
being made to beef up the JSDF.

North Korea: The DPRK remains in the same miserable economic state it
was before. China, Japan and South Korea, despite US protests, bought
Pyongyang off with enough money and food aid to destroy their nuclear
stockpile and allow UN inspections. However the difference now is
North Korea can make more nuclear weapons any time it wants.

India: India has progressed rapidly as well. They are, militarily, on
par with the European nations but still aren't a match for China or
the USA. Pakistan has been rather benign and inactive over the past
few years, so New Delhi is in a comfortable foreign relations
position.