The Sino invasion plot is/was such a shit, lazy idea - surely they must have realised that such a storyline would only ever have been a pale imitation of The Apocalpyse War?
It's weird - Grant Morrison (and by extension Mark Millar) could never see what to do with Dredd that wasn't a 'widescreen' (his words) take on what had already been done before. I think the Sino-Cit war thing was a Millar / Mackenzie idea, but I suspect (no proof, mind!) that Grant may have been in on the initial concept. I'm betting that in their heads it would have been 'the Apocalypse War turned up to 11' - i.e. lazy pointless retread, as you suggest.
I also suspect Dredd would have been essentially Big Dave with a lawgiver...
