I have a lot of fun playing as Chairman Mao. The deck is really stacked against you, but if you practice opportunistic warfare and level up your troops by sending them out against weak stragglers, eventually a nearby city will be weak enough for you to take and hold. Rinse and repeat and eventually you will have a hefty-sized territory. Once the allies declare war, they will give you the resources you need so don't worry about that, just play very conservatively and it can be a lot of fun. I haven't tried this on Open Play, nor would I recommend it. Historical or Random Events would probably be best. As for playing as the Republic of China, that's not hard at all. Play a defensive game, letting your units earn up promotions until the allies declare war, then go after Siam and Vietnam. After that you should be able to face the Japs on the ground in mainland China well-enough. Also, don't be afraid to ask your allies for gold from time to time. They will usually be happy to give it to you as long as you don't ask for too much.