Consider this starting position (max bid), under normal China rules normal turn order
2 inf and 1 fighter in Chinghai
3 inf in Ningxia
3 inf in Sikang
3 inf in Hupeh
1 inf each in Suiyuan, Fukien, and Yunnan
Everything in the bag!
This would allow for Japan to trade in those last 3 spaces for 1 ipc each. Hupeh is stronger, the fighter can be saved, and China would have counter attack or stack defense options. Who knows under this set up China might even get to use a chip! I find something like this way more appealing than an open pre-placement bid for Allies. China in the Vanilla game was disappointing, because it didn’t have enough strength to do anything and just dies in the first round. But if you allow China to place all the bagged units, then they can actually be a menace to Japan. Does anyone else find such China rules interesting?
The flying tiger is much more fun, when it survives and has these extra infantry units to back it up. By placing it in Chinghai it is safe from round 1 Japanese attack, can still fly into an attack in the first round, but must also land in a more forward position if doing so. Alternatively it can stay back and try to form a wall to protect the Russians. Because the China rules state that no chinese unit may leave China, this kind of bid situation is less dramatic than other kinds of Allied bid. It allows you to restrict the focus on one specific area of the gameboard, without totally unbalancing the situation in all the other areas of the map. I think it works
Or consider this aggressive forward bid with all units in the bag…
3 inf each in Suiyuan, Hupeh, Fukien, and Yunnan
with the flying Tiger and 2 inf in Sikang.
That almost directly captures the situation with the Tiger safe in Chungking, but ready to strike out on an attack against Shanghai should the option present itself.
Or if keeping all the OOB units in the same position, add 3 inf each to Chinghai, Ningxia, and Sikang, 1 extra infantry to Yunnan and 1 to Hupeh. This at least allows a 9 stack (or more) onto Sikang, with first round inf units placed safely in Chinghai or Ningxia. This could allow a 12 stack in Chinghai by the 3rd round, which could actually hold for a while against Japan (especially if the Russians decide to send Mao some aid.) This bid requires no adjustment to the turn order or anything else, just option up to 11 extra Chinese infantry units, distributed at the start to re-balance the overall game Axis vs Allies.
Or any arrangement of up to 15 inf and the Tiger (max 3 units in a territory per the rules), at the Chinese player’s discretion. In order to achieve game balance.
Any of those bids would work in a China first or China last standard turn order, whatever your preference.