China

[Thryleon]

It's taken Russia an army of well over 100,000 men several months to gradually capture territory in a country with which it shares a common border.
How much harder to conquer an island nation over 7000km away.

Yes, our population is spread along the coast, but that coast stretches for many 1000s of kilometres and we also have many larger inland population centres especially through Victoria, New South wales and Queensland
How hard would it be to transport troops and supplies in the numbers that would be required to take territory.
That assumes no intervention or support from other countries for our cause which would make the task even more difficult and leave the attacker open for retaliation from others.

With all due respect to everything being considered, Russia is exercising restraint because people are not interested in wiping out the local populace.

They want to take it over, not eliminate it.  The west over simplified the Russian failures.  When the conflict is over, Russia want to retain its stronghold, by aligning the populace with their goals.  If they wanted to flatten it, and take it, they would have done it by now, and I expect that this is the status quo being aimed for.

The Chinese are using subterfuge anyway.  Purchase it all, and then after wards you dont need to invade it.  You get it by proxy.  Go to Glen Waverley and Box Hill.  Take a walk around.  Its not very western there anymore, and you feel like a tourist in your own neighbourhood.

Ideology is at the heart of every war.  Politics and resources along with ideology.  The key is eliminating identity which is why once you have a foreign nation going "same same" you are ripe for the picking by them, unless you are the stronger one.

China is way more interesting in Taiwan than it will ever be in Australia.  Our economy is its personal bank account.