Well, TG, I think you are confusing time it takes to move a fighter at some point in the game with time to move a fighter there on round 1.
Theoretically, SZ 52, SZ 51, SZ 48, SZ 57 (all easily defensible) would be ideal staging grounds for sending fighters to China.
But really, you’d only be wanting to send a fighter to China in one of two sitautions:
1) China lost it’s fighter and is doing quite well because of dice.
2) You have an opportunity to use an American fighter to defend Russians who have liberated a hunk of China so China can build infantry and convert the fighter later.
Both of these wouldn’t even happen until after round 2 anyway. Before round 2 you really wouldn’t know if it was better to send the fighter to China to replace the Flying Tigers or keep it at sea to protect your own fleet.
And yes, before I get bombarded by “well China will be dead then” China might have been completely conquered. But as anyone who’s played the game a dozen times or more can attest, China CAN be liberated by Russia quite easily.
Hell, I’ve liberated all of China with Russia 10 rounds after England has fallen and before Germany has fallen (England STILL being German controlled.) This would be the IDEAL time for America to send a fighter. (Because Japan’s fleet has been destroyed.)