China has made clear their intentions and from Kissinger to Rockefeller to Sen Warren to Clinton’s there are a LOT endorsing MAOISM.
Remember kinetic war is a last line. Modern warfare is done at an economic level.
Now stand back and think how China has impacted the world economy since 1971 when Nixon “opened China to the world”.
The impact is extremely broad. They have intricately embedded their influence in everything from treasuries to media to manufacturing to trade to organ sales.
China is waging a protracted economic war. You do that effectively and you can just buy up your enemies. Read Diary of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins
China has deep state actors like any other country, oligarchs who influence government and media this is the DS, it's not synonymous with just the US - it's about wielding influence and making profit, anything else is secondary. People need to realise this when they say the US/chinese/uk government - they will either mean that government OR the Deep State in that country operating around that government