There is an article I read where it states the Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) is very unhappy with Xi Ping and top CCP (Communist Party) officials and are at loggerheads over what to do with the South China Sea and Taiwan. The Chinese PLA wants to keep the status quo and not rock the boat with the US. Attacking Taiwan for instance, they said will invite the US to intervene militarily and hurt the Chinese military, not counting the economic sanctions that the US will impose on China. The same goes with the South China Sea, the Chinese PLA does not want to provoke the US resulting even in a limited military confrontation which again, can result in US economic sanctions. Instead, they favor cooperation with the US, while, building their military and economic power. Top PLA generals and top CCP officials of course, own most of the big companies in China and a very good cash cow for all of them. Any economic or military conflict with the US will set them back up decades and nullify their economic progress.
Japan went through the same thing in the lead up to Pearl Harbor. Yamamoto was a Harvard grad and had been a military attache' in DC and knew what the U.S was capable of. He warned repeatedly that Japan was capable of fighting hard for six months but not for the long haul. Of course, they fought to win once the decision had been made but some of those guys were no fools. The political ones were though. A familiar theme. Yamamoto - Japan's top admiral- was of course killed himself when American codebreakers were able to track his plane in the pacific. The Japs were good fighters. The Americans too unfortunately for them. The Chinese would be formidable no doubt. However, they do need to be careful about underestimating the Americans though. We plenty smart too.
The Chinese were no match for the Japanese in World War 2. It was still under Chiang Kai Shek. Of course, you can say, they have more advanced arms now which is true. However, they have not been in too many wars compared to the Vietnamese for instance. War with the US will be very bloody for both sides. US will use overwhelming force if it comes to that because the last thing the US wants is a long drawn out war with China.