The time is Mao era, he have mobilization the whole nation including the kids in case there a full scale war. The kids were not send in to fight though. However if it become a full scale war then it is up to anyone guess
territory disputes is never a right or wrong answer, both will claim that it is their. So unless China prepare to fight a war against nearly all her neighbor countries as China refuse to go to International Court for this, it can never settle. (China had territory dispute with nearly all her neighbor countries)