My only comment, I don't see Gorbachev making such a statement. By '86 or so, he and Reagan were having competing charm offensives. My thinking is, after Chernenko dies in 1985, he names
Viktor Chebrikov to the top slot...and he begins to make things worse instead of better. In fact, say your Chinese general is a KGB asset. He's there mostly to pass intel on the PLA, but well, some bright boy at Moscow Center decides, why not embarrass the Chinese, let's have this guy arrange some small raid to let the KGB Border Guards defeat and have some bodies to display for the Western press. A sort of Gilwitz by proxy...only, something goes very wrong, and matters get WAY out of hand before our guy can stop it. By the time either army's high command is aware of what's going on, you have division sized formations going hammer and tongs with each other 10km deep in China.....