Here goes:
POD is the War of Spanish succession. French armies are more successful (better commanders, eugene and Marlborough get killed, something like this). Then, as the war is winding down, Louis, duc de bourgogne dies in some accident, leaving Philip V of Spain as the next heir to the french throne. the alliance doesnt like this state of affairs, but the war hasnt been going well and exhaustion sets in. In exchange for territorial concessions, they allow Phillip to reign the united kingdom.
The following century is marked by a series of wars for hegemony; and the rise of france-spain at the expense of the british and austrians. However, this leads to a power vacumn in central and eastern europe. Russia starts to step in to fill the gap, but somehow angers france. France-spain then starts supporting the Poles as a buffer state. Somehow, the poles reorganize and break the power of the tsars, and become dominant in eastern europe.
As for china, dynastic crisis in the 18th or 19th centuries coupled with a taiping type rebellion shatters the empire into feuding states. Japan decides to step in, and manages to conquer Korea. However, this leads to further expansion on the mainland. While they never come close to conquering China as a whole, they do make signifcant gains over the centuries and the continuing balkanization allows them to consolidate their position on the mainland.
A very rough timeline, and could use development, but there you go.