When did this operation really begin?
The China threat can be recognized as far back as Bush 1 / Kissinger, when Bush was CIA and could have started putting the pieces in place. A failed attempt on Reagan, then finally bing POTUS himself, cementing actions and deals that allowed China to start building their connections, while Bill Clinton ultimately rewarded them with Most Favored Nation status in trade, opening the flood gates.
John Perry Barlow was brought in to consult and formulate a modern intelligence comms structure at NSA, which if we are honest, has been at odds with the CIA since they were first formed after WW2. I think the nexus of this white hat operation probably began either with the [187] of JFK Jr., or in the aftermath of 9/11. At some point around the turn of the millennium, they could see what was coming. Maybe they gamed it out, maybe they got looking glass, maybe they had an advanced AI. But this feels like a 20 year plan in the making.
The two dangers I sense at this point is either (A) black hats try something in desperation that can't be stopped, (B) white hats succeed but then leave the surveillance state intact to be corrupted by future black hat operations. Will anyone really lay down their power once they have achieved it?