If someone is capable of attacking us, they are most likely already planning to attack us, and we must plan to attack "first". (Implied in "stand-up to China, as if US were already being put down...)
I mean, I was born and raised in China, CCP does not manage to install such mentality into adult Chinese. I never see anyone who say "we have to prepare to strike first".
Is this mentality real? Or I perceived wrong?
I don’t think the average American is having this drilled into them as you suggest, but there are certainly military planners in the USA whose job it is to think about such things.
China works the same way.
Yes, it’s real.
I am pretty sure that the domestic propaganda is not too different from what it used to be.
When a nation grow strong, it naturally demands more space for its realm. And they are learning new skills to push back the things they used to feel incapable of (like China seems starting to cultivate an alternative theory on democracy). Also, you have to understand, any ambitious politician in China understand the immense power if the nationalism is used properly.
Imagine a nation back to its pinnacle in the Han and Tang dynasty, that's hugely attractive, and also to the people...
The issue the US media sees, it's essentially that China does not put herself as a subordinate of the US dominant international hierarchy.
If you think in that way, the wolf diplomacy is just normal tic to tac between two rivalry nations. And in fact, each instance of so-called wolf diplomacy action was never proactive. It was always some random Western guy or media provoked previously dormant issues, and the Chinese have to react...