Here is a real WSU entry. The Chinese have demonstrated over the years that their superior numbers enable them to sacrifice numbers of individuals in battle. Why not project that concept to the C-probes?
Here we have a situation where a large number of dumb probes have been sent on missions to seek out and destroy the Probes. Each wave benefits from the experiences of the previous, but current data cannot be conveyed to the "forward troops."
If it were a simple computer data relay in the base ship, I would expect reactions to be fairly swift and well coordinated. That is not the case. Does this mean that all data is transmitted from the base ship back to China before Command and Control can determine the next step? I do not believe so. All the "intelligence" of the controller is most likely local to Mars. Transmissions appear to be one-way -- from the C-probes to the base. That may indicate coordination from a central location is not possible. Such coordinating communication may require a direct line-of-sight which would eliminate the base from participation. The pings, on the other hand, are radio E-M that can reach the base. That is why the next wave of C-probes can be programmed to recognize and deal with experiences of the previous wave(s).
Can a computer do that? Probably; look at what our Probes are capable of doing. Did the Chinese develop (or steal) an AI capable of such feats? Probably not, but what does that leave? The conclusion to which I aluded at the start. The Chinese sent one or more PEOPLE in the base ship to control the actions of the C-probes. The base is large enough to provide the necessities for a suicide crew long enough to win the war for Mars assuming the opposition was not sufficiently organized to fight effectively for very long. The series of waves is similar to Chinese war tactics and argues for the possibility that Chinese soldiers are within the base ship.
What do the rest of you think?