While I said tha the japs aren't a threat, we must be extra careful with japs strategy. Just like China, the japs also a student of Sun Tzu, pretty expert too. The way I see it, the japs today are trying to push the US into conflict with China as much as the US trying to push the japs into conflict with China. Nothing will make the japs happier than to see the yanks and the Chinese exhausted their wealth in conflict against each other. That's why the japs keep trying to make taiwan issue hotter by issuing provocative statements. When China is busy defending taiwan from the yanks, the japs can keep its diaoyu holding and watching both its overlord and potential future overlord tearing each others' faces. China should just ignore hot air provocations from japs, and focus on developing China's strength. Once China reach absolute dominant strength, there is no need to deal with the japs, they will adjust themselves to the new reality.

The best scenario for China is to have the US collapse into numerous independent states. IMO, this isn't impossible, but may not happen so soon.