Why a float-equipped C-130 suits dispersed Pacific operations

Could flying boats return if U.S. Pacific bases were attacked in a war with China?

Yes; the proposed floatplane C-130 is an example of an aircraft designed around that basing problem.

Renewed interest in flying boats reflects the vulnerability of U.S. bases in a war with China. The proposed floatplane C-130 shows that this problem is already shaping aircraft ideas. Water operation would give a transport another way to reach dispersed locations when a conventional runway is unavailable. This particular adaptation is operationally sensible without implying a general return to seaplanes.