Close calls around the world show that Russian and Chinese pilots want 'batting practice' against...

So it seems. It's like ball teams from different schools shooting hoops together at the local park - though with much worse results<sigh>
However, it is also a set-up. In its eagerness to be the policemen of the world most of the U.S.of A. international policy problems come from requests of individual nations that are not recognized as being more complexly collusive than the U.S. apparently realizes. Relationships on the other side of the globe have been on-going for millennia driven by decades and centuries of of off and on anger, retribution, and greed that spans much more time than our government, and the advisors to whom they listen, apparently recognize.
The nations who ask for our assistance are not necessarily friends to the U.S.A, nor will they be in the future even when our assistance benefits them. Their closest neighbors, friends and/or foe are the determinants - even with a world full of sophisticated weaponry.
There are reasons the military is not supposed to be going into combat when we well know combat will occur. When a president has repeatedly made those choices through direct action, to commit our military, especially knowing it will be long-term action - it pushes the limits to the point of indicating an administration is wanting to turn into a dictatorship, imo.
These days congress seems to be an "occupied territory" so what the constituency wants is probably not debated in Congress when it differs from what industry, corporate conglomerates, and foreign lobbies want that apparently drive the choices of Congress along with a president and his advisors.