SUPER hypothetical. in THEORY......we MIGHT Nuke.......China or Russia (whoever else) but it's a POLITICAL mess.....and opens a Pandoras box not opened in my rather long life. We HAVE capability. Triton Subs can throw a LOT of Nukes about on short notice. In REALITY...... any NUKE stuff is a stalemate. If we zapped China.. no more TV's, Shoes, i-Phones, etc. We may take some hits. We look BAD in global politics. It's not even plan B.
It almost did five times, four times by the USA and once with the Soviets. In fact one of those nuclear attacks on the Chicoms was suppose to be a joint USA/Soviet nuclear attack on China.
Though no clear evidence exists now, re the Soviets and their border dispute with China I would bet they came even closer in 1960 than they did in '69. This is why VN was about so much more than a civil war, and why Kennedy's signing off on Diem's murder was such a bad and extremely dangerous move.
I kind of hate to admit it.. but since I was a kid in the 50's.. Nuclear Deterence HAS worked. Up to a POINT. WWIII has not happened. We DO have "issues" with Russia and China but... nothing that's imminent WAR. Tom Clancy,Dale Brown and others wrote novels on a "what if" where we are at a NOT Nuclear war with Russia or China. The PENTAGON has people who...do similar 'war game" simulations. You have to account for shyt that ain't PRACTICAL..logical. in HINDSIGHT....most big wars of the past 100+ yrs.. were a bad idea. Often..a bad idea at the time. - - - Updated - - - Not likely. China has learned to merge many ideas, adapt. They operate much like a vast corporation.