China launches new warship type to boost military strength - BBC News

I do think while it is important to watch and important that the Chinese have domestically produced vessels, many capability gaps still exist, training, logistics, technology on board. It will be interesting to see how it develops.
However, the south china won't be resolved simply by floating a large pacific fleet in the area or conducting exercises for freedom of navigation. It clearly is not a deterrent to their overall strategy.

China is on its way towards building a credible blue water navy. Those who dismiss China's efforts out of hand are underestimating a nation with serious goals of power projection in its region (ie, South China Sea), I would imagine our early attempts at carrier aviation with the USS Langley looked silly to the British, whose navy was a lot larger and more advanced than ours was at the time.