Part of me thinks this is like “The Mouse that Roared”.
Some think maybe having a “war” is the easiest way to get rid of the regime, and to have the country rebuilt.
I think the Chinese have plenty of agents in the country that can seize power, once Beijing gives the signal.
The dictators like to use “Sacrificial Pawns” or “Cats Paws” to do their dirty work.
Look at the Cubans in Africa doing the Soviet Union’s work.
Humans love symmetry, and that Korean Peninsula doesn’t look symmetrical to the Chinese.