What is even the purpose of showing these tiny islands in a larger size? It's not like they are the backbone of China's economy or that they prove that the party still has the mandate of heaven.

To oversize the problem related to those islands. And make the people agree upon a common ennemy.

[USA did a similar oversizing trick with WMD and the belief that Irak was the 4th biggest army in the world]

[calm down, USA patriots, all the countries do use the same tricks.]

Did Iraq NOT have the 4th biggest army in the world?

It's not the size, it's how you use it.

Tell that to the iphone mini...

In the 80s yes.