Fresh on the heels of the Chinese invasion of Vanuatu that wasnt, febrile minds have been seized by the headline-grabbing story of a Chinese navy confrontation with the Royal Australian Navy.The Prime Minister was quicklyready in Londonto assert Australias right to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.Well, I suppose thats more fun for Mr Turnbull than talking about his role in the battle against the banking royal commission.But before the usual Sinophobe chorus orders all hands on deck and an issue of rum, it might be worth keeping the confrontation in perspective.

Warships being challenged by China as in being asked who the hell are you and what do you think youre doing here? is now expected. The Royal Australian Navy has its response learned off by heart. And its more about Beijings longer-term legal strategy than imminent cannon fire.They reply with words to the effect of: Hello. Were HMAS Howsyafather exercising our right of innocent passage.

I know this because Ive asked a couple of people whove actually done it, not relied on an anonymous defence individual talking a little vaguely about a robust but polite challenge and not fully explaining it, either by omission or commission. That can lead to further debatable language along the lines of our ships being confronted.

The RAAF has the same answer down pat when it plays its part in the South China Sea game. Its unfortunate indeed that the boundary testing in the region has come to this, but its nowhere near time to start digging bomb shelters.

Deeply cynical types might wonder about the timing.The robust politeness happened earlier this month but now comes to light a week after the Vanuatu shock-horror wharf has faded away and when the government would love to be talking about something as dependable (for it) as national security and such.

China is behaving boorishly in the South China Sea, unnecessarily pressuring its neighbours as it copies the behaviour of historys other ascendant powers instead of being smarter.Through the ritual of challenging foreign ships, China hopes to assert a degree of jurisdiction over what are now international waters. Thats why foreign navies carefully reply with legal language indicating otherwise. China wont be able to turn up in an international court in a decades time with a log showing HMAS Howsyafather acknowledged entering Chinese territory or any such construct.

Its poor form by Beijing. It could achieve so much more by playing nicely, but theres no historical template for that. Pick a major power, any major power, and theyve thrown their weight around with their neighbours, sometimes disastrously.Its easy to point out the hypocrisy of the forces who would contain China. Anyone for the illegal American invasion of Iraq that we supported? Or, in the realm of seizing or building islands, dont forget the US still occupies part of Cuba.

While its reasonable to try to hold China to the international rules as they stand, whipped up China Peril headlines do Australia and Australian businesses no favours.It was bemusing to watch the Fairfax MediaCHINA INVADING VANUATUstory wither over the course of a week to sources confirmed high-level concern in Canberra that China has the ambition of a military presence in Vanuatu.Concern about a possible ambition. And I have an ambition to win Oz Lotto.

And you know the thing about the vast South Pacific? Theres nothing much there. Youd have to have an overblown idea of Australias importance to think anyone desperately wants to control the Pacific approaches to this middle power.

Our relationship with China is too important to be the plaything of alarmists and barrow-pushers. To a hammer, everything is a nail. To a certain breed of defence sources, China is always a military threat.And when our de facto commander-in-chief is a lunatic increasingly surrounding himself with Sinophobes and warmongers, it would pay to play a carefully nuanced long-term game ourselves.

Michael Pascoe, a veteran of more than four decades in print, broadcast and online journalism, is a business and economics contributing editor for Fairfax Media.

First published in The New Daily, 20 April 2018.