Folks
You are either misinformed or missing the point.
Do not assume the Chinese Government, (either the Princelings or Old Guard) are completely in charge.
There are large elements of the PLA/(N)/(AF) that are not in control of the nominal Chinese Government, but junior officers acting rather local “Warlords”. These actions cannot be properly examined using the filter of US experience and concept of Civil control of the Military. The situation in China is now much closer to the historical period of Japan in the 1920’s and we know how that worked out.
These tests by the PLAN are simply that tests and are as one here correctly pointed out assuring freedom of the seas is the number two task on the official task list of the USN only behind defending the Dominions and territories of the US in our doctrines of Seapower and Alfred Thayer Mahan.
It is most probable that these actions are taking place to force the Princelings and Old Guard to give these junior elements a greater share of the wealth that is being generated and concentrated at the top of the party.
Instead of concentrating on free trade and such we need to look at our real enemy, the junior cadre, lest we, in typical US historical knee jerk fashion react in a way to weaken those who have much more to lose than we do.
You, sir, are correct.