'Stranger - Mukoh Hadan (ストレンヂア 無皇刃譚)' produced by BONES: Plot summary and a note on the projection of China as a source of troubles

So we have more info on this long-awaited animated film from the animation studio BONES. Here is a color spread from the May issue of NewType (courtesy of Maganimation):

The story is set in the Senkoku period. The gist of the plot is that a ronin called Nanashi (meaning 'nameless') saves a young boy Kotarou and his dog Tobimaru at an abandoned temple. Kotarou has no family, is pursued by a mysterious militia organization from China and hires Nanashi as his bodyguard. Nanashi has 'sealed' his sword due to some reason in his past, and sometimes he is disturbed by nightmares. He has abandoned his name along with his past. The man who pursues Kotarou is a man called Rarou. Rarou obeys an old man called Byakuran and is a membr of the Chinese militia. He is very skilled in his sword and it seems from his eye and hair colours that he is not just a Chinese. Unlike his companions in the militia, he has no concept of 'king' and he just wants to fight with the strong.

It seems to me that the expectation among anime fans is that this will feature the best sword fight scenes since... Samurai Champloo. The bit with the mysterious militia organization from China makes me somewhat worried - for some reason, all the trouble-making/bloodthirsty guys/elements seem to originate from/be related to China in period dramas like Samurai Champloo and Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto. Or perhaps this is just a matter of coincidence. I have a feeling that, like Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, no satisfactory explanation as to the motives of the mysterious Chinese militia organization will be offered. It will just be something you have to accept at face value.