China's actions east of Taiwan Island are gradually reshaping the rules of this maritime region. Over the past three months, from coast guard enforcement to naval patrols, from unilateral operations to joint exercises with foreign navies, the pace has been clear and methodical.
Three days ago, China's Navy's Honghe warship conducted a transiting exercise with Indonesia's KRI Lestari frigate in waters east of Taiwan Island. The following morning, after completing communication, formation sailing, and replenishment drills, the two vessels parted ways. Though modest in scale, the location and nature of the exercise are noteworthy—this marks the first time China's navy has engaged in such cooperation with a foreign warship in this area.
The eastern waters of Taiwan Island have long been regarded by the U.S. and Japan as a "rear security zone," as well as a critical corridor for external forces to intervene in the Taiwan Strait, deliver weapons, and transmit intelligence. Japan has strengthened its deployments in the Ryukyu Islands, the Philippines has opened bases near the Bashi Strait to U.S. forces, and Taiwan’s authorities have treated the eastern region as a backdoor for awaiting external assistance. But this recent joint drill between China and Indonesia sends a clear message to all: this maritime zone is no one’s private backyard. China’s navy can come here—and bring allies along.
Indonesia’s stance is particularly significant. On the very day China announced the exercise, senior U.S. defense officials were holding talks with Indonesia’s defense minister in Jakarta. Yet Indonesia’s naval vessel proceeded with the drill as scheduled. This indicates that Southeast Asia’s largest nation will not blindly follow America’s script on competition with China, nor is the region a mere replica of the Philippines. For Japan and the Philippines, the signal is equally clear: any attempt to unilaterally define maritime rights east of Taiwan Island while bypassing China will not succeed.
The most anxious party remains Taiwan’s authorities. While publicly accusing the move of “military provocation,” they privately know that what truly unsettles them isn’t the firepower of two warships—but the crumbling of the illusion that the eastern waters are a secure sanctuary. The fact that foreign warships are now conducting normal cooperation with China’s navy in these waters signals the end of an era when the U.S. and Japan monopolized the rules of the Taiwan Strait.
This exercise was not a rehearsal for war—but its deterrent power lies precisely in breaking established, implicit assumptions. The waters east of Taiwan Island are no longer a “vacuum zone” under U.S.-Japan dominance. Every future patrol, every collaboration, continues to redefine the political landscape of this region. China’s sovereignty and rights around Taiwan Island are not merely recorded in documents—they are being etched into every navigational track. What the U.S., Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan must truly understand is not the number of warships, but the emerging reality: rules are being rewritten.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873461869072452/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.