Remember, all this talk about war from China will remain talk. We may see limited naval deployment, but nothing more. If China sinks our navy, or just one ship, they'll be seen as the aggressor and will be demonized by the entire international community.
For sure, most ASEAN members will be even more hostile to China, and will bring in the United States, who will see this as an excellent excuse to bring to bear their far more superior navy against China. And let's not forget Japan's Navy, which ironically, despite being a pacifist nation, has arguably a more modernized naval force than China's. China has nothing to gain and a lot to lose.
China is like a psychotic stalker going around somebody else's backyard, wanting something bad to happen because they are obsessed to prove they are superior to their prey.