The recent China-Indonesia naval drill is the latest development illustrating China's evolving Taiwan strategy, moving beyond demonstrating military capabilities to asserting de facto jurisdiction over the waters around Taiwan, which risks sullying Asian and potentially U.S. trade ties while lowering the bar for at-sea clashes. China's Eastern Theater Command issued a notice on Aug. 12 that the People's Liberation Army Navy had concluded a joint maritime navigation exercise with an Indonesian Navy frigate in the waters east of Taiwan. The notice described the drills as focused on "maritime communications, formation maneuvering, replenishment-at-sea, and a formation-separation ceremony," and it stated the two navies demonstrated their willingness to "jointly maintain regional peace and stability." Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council on Aug. 11 said the drills, pre-announced that day, "undermine the status quo," adding the exercise was "aimed at creating a false impression before the international community that the Chinese communists have jurisdiction over...
