Thanks, will give that try. The other/combined issue is that it is so pliable that the plastic bends and the paint peels off also. Might even try a dip in super glue or something.
Just do a google search for WWII chinese infantry. Here is something I found on the first page of search (search “images”). Its a box top from a very reputable model company. This copy is a bit small, you can look for a larger version. Chineese seem to come in either a catachan green or my personal choice: a pale grey color (with a slight touch of bluish-green). But I have also seen what looks to be pea green. The chinese army has not as stricktly color-coordinated as, say, the nazi army, so you have some flexability.