[1] In recent decades, wintertime sea surface temperatures off the eastern coast of China have steadily increased. The warming is accompanied by on-coast wind convergence across East China Sea and by stronger northeasterly wind which is spatially inhomogeneous being greatest in the Taiwan Strait. Strong winds favor more frequent cross-shelf currents and vigorous spreading of heat from the Kuroshio, which warms the coastal sea in a positive feedback loop. The process also weakens the East Asian winter monsoon over eastern China, contributing to its decoupling from the recent rebound of the Siberian High.