This will make China spend more on military and buildup its military even faster. China will become even more assertive as pro-military hawks are proven their views are correct and they gain more influence in the CPC.
China escorting US ships shows China is not going to back down to anyone like in 1996 Taiwan crisis. Countries in Asia thought that all you need to do for China to back down is for the US to step in and China will eventually back down. But PLAN sending ships to escort US ships when it entered within 12nm shows not even the US military can get China to back down. China deployed J-11 fighter jets to those islands.
This is actually bad news for Vietnam, Philippines, Japan and other mickey mouse countries.
China is in no mood to back down even to the US military and in China's backyard, not even the US military can take on China in an all out war. As China's military power grows, the greatest effect will be felt in China's SCS.
You got this all wrong, it is China that is sending a clear message to the US. The message is that those islands will be built, those islands will be militarised and once the military facilities on those islands are complete, China will escort US naval and air assets and extend China's military reach.