Are they pin-pricking, taunting the giant?
Absolutely, taunting the paper giant. China doesn’t dare fire on those foreign planes. Just think of the turmoil when worldwide commerce stops buying Chinese goods during an event like that.
“Are they pin-pricking, taunting the giant?”
Exactly. China called our bluff to see how we would react, in fact how SE Asia would react. That is why Korea and Japan are involved.
China found out where these countries stand. China isn’t ready to challenge the Pacific powers yet.