Strange to China? Yes. But not to US. Too bad for China.
There are many
LEVELS of 'war games', or exercises.
As I am Air Force, I will speak from the USAF perspective. The most common is 'operational readiness inspection' (ORI).
By now, you have probably heard the Air Force Global Strike Command Inspector General will conduct an Operational Readiness Inspection of our wing in late January of next year. That inspection will be
www.malmstrom.af.mil
Basically, this exercise test a wing's capabilities to execute its assigned mission. No wing is identical to another. You cannot test an air refueling wing the same as a fighter wing.
Beyond the ORI is where the 'real' tests begins. One test is to see if a wing is capable to handling a numerically superior force, and the best way to do that is allow the 'Red' force unlimited resources, aka 'regeneration'. This is called a 'stressor' factor.
Another stressor is attrition or losses. Once, I was in a truck filled with pilots and maintainers heading out for the day's sorties. An exercise inspector stopped the truck when we were in the middle of a taxiway. He put a red card on the windshield, signifying we were virtually 'killed'. Now the squadron is out a few pilots and crewchiefs. Not only that, we were not allowed to move the truck, simulating a wreck in the runway system that also blocks aircraft ground traffic. But the squadron still have to meet the takeoff time. This made the squadron outnumbered by the Red Force even though no regeneration occurred.
Being 'killed' this way is not as glamorous as being 'killed' in the air, but the question and result is still critical, that how able is the squadron/wing when under pressures. The exercise inspectors can 'kill' a fuel truck, a bomb assembly area, or even the chow hall. All of these do not make it into the news like how a ship or tank was 'killed' in an exercise. But these simulated 'losses' reveals weaknesses and flaws in ways that many do not expect.
The PLA do not have a record of realistic exercises, as leaked reports revealed. Your exercises are geared more towards propaganda purposes. Too bad for you.