Anyway, I think this is all more Chinese interior policy, to divert public attention in China from the many problems the CCP currently has to maintain itself in power. As any government, the need a "foreign enemy". Or, in China's case, a handfull of foreign enemies: Japan, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, maybe Malaysia.
Ding ding ding! China is slowly but very noisily attempting to tighten it's grip along her Pacific coastline, and it's a very wide grip that stretches from the far north to the far south.
The regional hegemony is very murky and relationship-of-convenience is the norm, especially since there is a lot of very dark history between major regional powers (China, Korea, Japan) and minor ones (Vietnam, Thailand/Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia). I'm not even going to attempt a short analysis of China's reunification policies towards Taiwan, other than both sides would prefer to remain amicable.
The only "proper" enemy would be Russia, and therefore China signed a border agreement with Russia, basically giving up their claims. Because Russia is stong enough to not play these silly games the CCP is playing with the weaker neighbors.
Like a common school bully, China is only bullying those that can't defend themselves. Doesn't give China much face, I'd say.
Not saying you are wrong. But this sort of brainwash usually goes two ways. You might not see it, but China, in a way, could well be the same type of foreign enemy of your country.
The government does this because most mainlanders eat this up. Idiotic jingoism and military adventures are how you win the populace and build your legitimacy. War is the health of the state.
The fact that culturally most people seem to see neighboring countries as either outright provinces, historical vassals that should be in their sphere of influences, or monsters that deserve to be raped and pillaged to account for past crimes doesn't help things.
Not to say the same thing doesn't occur in my country. It certainly does, and half a million dead in an equally pointless, stupid war does make risible any moral posturing on our part.
Its only with Russia that they signed a peaceful border agreement two(?) years ago, because Russia would be too strong an enemy to play these kind of games with.