The situation reminds me of that quote "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." While Casey made a decision which was pragmatic and understandable, the failure of his plan could mean that he helped cause the situation he sought to prevent. While Mark is willing to act as a force for good for now, that may change. As you pointed out Mark says he will "help them, whether they want to or not" with the end result possibly being some kind of benign dictatorship.

I have been wondering about the Chinese chess player since you mentioned him and based on my knowledge of the JLA I might have an idea on who he's supposed to be. I'd definitely agree though that he seems to be fulfilling the role of wise mentor and find it ironic that after being exposed to so much anti-Chinese propaganda as a child that Mark's only hope for guidance is a Chinese man.