Standing up to China

[Mobhack]

About the only real possibility for a "big" war with a serious opponent might be in the Mao era when they had a split in opinion.

Here you have China effectively under one man's control (and he did do some strange things!) - which the present system is designed to rule out (see the recent election/appointment of new Chinese leaders - a bunch of them).

See this Alternative History thread for ideas perhaps?
Sino-Soviet split becomes Sino-Soviet War
http://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...d.php?t=252876

And just to add to the "What ifs" - the China-Vietnam war "going large" is another one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War
- According to the Wiki Article, China had 1.5 million troops massed on the Soviet border just in case it all kicked off into a full-scale war. What if it had done so?. Likely you would have to use sheer infantry and arty based human-wave mass, if playing as Chinese since the USSR '79 stuff is so technically advanced comparatively, whereas you have T-54 knock-offs at best, no man portable SAM or decent AAA etc.