That *would* be the obvious move supposing they were planning such an invasion. But if I were trying to determine where they would attack, why wouldn't they attack the 'south coast'? Texas is full of ports, manufacturing, shipping. Middle of the country. It'd be devastating. And the u.s. wouldn't expect it. And the chinese already have inroads with the mexicans and cartels, crossing mexico would be easier than hitting the west coast and then being fought to a stand still at the rockies. More importantly it'd be an opportunity to recruit the mexicans, and control the panama canal, cutting off u.s. access to south america. Also it gives immediate access/aid to cuba, which would be willing to throw in if another power could reach them and actually guarantee them access to something like the panama canal. And china could hold all the oil rigs in the gulf of mexico hostage as a zone of denial simply by the threat of their presence. More importantly china could launch from there on key areas, like nevada (weapons manufacturing), or on florida, which would give them complete access to the *west coast* as well, which leads where? DC and new york and virginia (intelligence agencies all based out of here). The political, financial, and military-intelligence hub of the united states. Florida, with cuba as a close second, is literally the achilles heel of the entire east coast. And texas is the achilles heel of florida, and mexico in turn is the achilles heel of texas. More importantly taking texas gives access to the mississippi river. You know how much it would cripple the united states if the chinese took out several major bridges crossing the mississippi river? A LOT of transportation goes over that river, a lot of logistics. It would be like how the north divided the south in the american civil war, they cut them in half. Mexico disrupts the west coast, gives them the pananama canal, disrupts world shipping, giving the chinese a lever. Texas disrupts oil and manufacturing in a huge way. Texas gives access florida, and to the missisippi river, which cuts the US in half. Florida gives immediate and total access to cuba and the US capital/finance/military/intelligence. Cuba acts as a landing pad or a retreat. Cuba, mexico, and panama, act as zone denial in the gulf, and restrict US access to south america. You know what this sort of all-of-a-sudden total domination would do to america? It would unanimously and forever sound to the rest of the *world* that america, was unequivacally, beyond the shadow of a doubt, utterly and completely done as a world power. it wouldn't even matter if china packed up and left the very next day. The rest of the world would see it as the US being clobbered, like a bully finally being punched square in the mouth, and I suspect within a years time a whole lot of alliances would favor china. And I see of no reason, having laid out this scenario, that this isn't already what Xi and the PLA would be cooking up. I suspect the alaska moves, and the rumors of them in canada are just that, rumors, distractions. if they're not, and the best Xi and china can come up with is jealous eyes for canada and taiwan, then they're bigger fools than anyone thought. The u.s. has caught on to their slow burn strategy and won't allow it to unfold to completion. Thats a flower that will be crushed before it blooms. Chinas one chance is in fact a sudden strike, through mexico, on texas and florida. Thankfully the chinese lack all imagination and will foolishly run out the clock while trying to colonize canada and cause chaos in america.