A catspaw is always more useful than a proxy, after all; the former can be left to twist in the wind once they've done your dirty work, and it costs you nothing. Same reason I think it's so absurd that the West is so credulous about North Korea suddenly developing:

1) A nuclear engineering cadre capable of producing nuclear weapons,

2) the technical equipment necessary to process the materials,

3) the uranium ore to enrich by that means,

4) the missile technology necessary to deliver it to the other side of the Pacific and

5) the iridium and other rare metals necessary to construct such missiles

all out of the blue. I mean, sure, China and Russia may have armed them during the Korean Non-War, but SURELY that's not still going on (despite the fact that it's an open secret Pakistan got the bomb from China, which appears quite willing to provide unstable and/or radical governments with nuclear weapons in the interest of geopolitics and personal wealth).

It's ALL about plausible deniability: North Korea can hold South Korea, Japan and, very soon, even CA hostage, and even it all goes to hell and a nuclear exchange occurs Chinas biggest worry is that the wind might shift inland and carry some fallout their way. Meanwhile, the home of 1/6 of America, and much of our technological base, will be glow in the dark glass, and Japan will likely be caught up in the colateral damage (drawing in still more of the US military fervently hoping AEGIS is as good as advertised). They won't even have to make excuses for Kim anymore, they can just cut him loose with no remaining option except an all or nothing impossible to win war, then wring their hands and weep crocodile tears over what the foolish Koreans and Americans have done to each other and their allies.

I see little hope the younger generation, more thoroughly indoctrinated with nationalism than their parents (which is saying a lot in China) and conditioned by the response to Tiananmen to view all dissent as treason, moderates or reconciles. In fact, that may BE the best long term hope, that the younger generation is so convinced of Chinas superiority and ascendancy that they'll force the issue too soon, before victory is as certain as they've been taught. But for now, hell, since Nixon infamously went to China (great Commie fighter that he was), "what incentive do they have?" remains very much the question. Right now they can continue doing as they always have and we'll continue shipping them all our industry in exchange for more debt.

I am so SICK of people committing suicide by default because action is so scary. Seems inescapable anymore though, hence my frustration and disgust.

EDIT: I nearly forgot, but what role do you think Britain might play in the seemingly inevitable conflict? I don't think India could resist the "Peoples" Army long (though the casualties on both sides would be hideous, even in a conventional war) but I see no way for the UK to stay out of that conflict, and then it really is WWIII. Could be a great day to be a Russian, with the rest of Europe and the US facing off against China in a MAD war. I'd hate to be PM if China uses Pakistan against India the same way it's used North Korea against South Korea....