Say the 1991 Soviet coup doesn't happen or is prevented and Gorbachev successfully turns the Soviet Union into the
Union of Sovereign States or some alt-leader retains all or the majority of the Soviet Territories
Would a more powerful Russia be willing to confront China
I'll join Rousseau in asking: Over what?
The other point of contention are the Ussuri River border disputes, the problem is that unless China really wants to push it it's not very significant.
The Soviets and Chinese had already agreed on how to properly demarcate their border.
The truth is that neither Russia/the USSR or China can afford to be enemies in the post Cold War period and in any case, the main bones of contention are those Chinese nationalists who want Mongolia and the rest of Manchuria back and those Russians who are afraid of millions of Chinese swamping them out in Siberia. They're hardly major issues.
The only way I can imagine post-Communist Russia being more "willing" to "confront" China is in an ATL where shock therapy works because of a massive liquidity infusion from the US in the form of cheap long-duration loans and tensions in Europe are solved by Russia being made a NATO member state.
In this situation, Russia may be willing to help their allies in "confronting" China since trade and relations with the West would be more important than OTL's Russia. However, Russia in this situation would be like the European NATO allies x3 in that their relations with China are likely to be of mutual benefit and thus any confronting done to help their allies would be kept within limits.
fasquardon