Note that the pilot had alternatives, perhaps even safer ones than an attempt to land at an airport and one belonging to the supposed enemy he was spying on to boot. Ditching the plane as close as possible to a friendly ship was a clear option. It would have avoided an international incident as well. In a real war, his actions would have been considered cowardly and treasonous and rightly so. Instead he has been treated as a hero.
Destroyers are yesterday's technology.
Vulnerable to both submarines and aircrafts, there has not been one war in the last fifty years in which they played even a minor role. It is extremely hard to handle, something which may have been a factor in the incident. It is obvious that they are pathetic. The only Chinese military threat comes from their 700 nuclear warheads, about two dozen of which are actually capable of reaching Los Angeles. None can go further.