US, Indonesia to safeguard maritime security in South China Sea amid threat from Beijing

In a bid to suppress the latest incursions by the Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels in the disputed territorial waters of the South China Sea, the US and Indonesia have decided to develop the Natuna Islands co-operatively. The archipelago, situated on the southern of the contested sea, has reported the increased Chinese ships' trespassing in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) recently, according to the sources of the Head of Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla). In a recent visit to Indonesia as part of a five-nation tour, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi agreed to enhance bilateral relations and pursue "inclusive cooperation". 

Expressing gratitude for the US government's initiative for cooperation with Indonesia in order to ensure regional peace, stability, and prosperity, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a presser that the US and Indonesia will strengthen its defense cooperation. "The Indonesian Minister of Defense has visited the US this month and met with various US counterparts, including the US Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper to bolster the two countries' military power by strengthening defense capabilities," Marsudi said. While Indonesia exercises sovereignty over the Natuna Islands, the foreign minister said that the two countries held bilateral talks about Jakarta’s efforts to safeguard its national interest in the South China Sea. 

"For Indonesia, South China Sea should be maintained as a stable and peaceful sea.  International law, in particular UNCLOS 1982, must be respected and implemented.  Therefore, any claims should be based on the universally recognized principles of international law, including UNCLOS 1982," Indonesia Foreign Minister said.

Meanwhile, rejecting China's expansionist agendas in the South China Sea, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a press address that Indonesia's security is "a cause worth pursuing in multilateral settings, and the Trump administration very much supports the decisive action Indonesia has taken to safeguard its maritime sovereignty around the Natuna Islands. " The countries dashed China's 9 dash line maritime claims in the Natuna Sea.

[Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, talks to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during a joint press conference which was broadcasted online in Jakarta, Indonesia. Credit: AP]

[Indonesian Presidential Palace, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wave at photographers during their meeting at Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Credit: AP]

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50 Chinese vessels intercepted

Earlier in January, three Indonesian military vessels expelled more than 50 Chinese vessels from its exclusive economic zone after they were intercepted sailing in the Natuna Sea off the coast of Borneo, bordering South China Sea.​​ Vice Admiral Achmad Taufiqoerrohman, the chief of Bakamla, told reporters of the state-run agency Benar that the Indonesian military will be present in the Natuna island and will "stake our claim." Further, in his address, he said that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) will also exert its strength. His comments came after TNI deployed three ships, one maritime reconnaissance aircraft and an Indonesian Air Force plane to patrol Natuna waters. Another ship was on its way to the region from Jakarta, the Indonesian military said in a statement. Meanwhile, Beijing’s foreign ministry had defended the presence of Chinese boats in a statement, saying, that “China has rights and interests over the relevant waters" around the Indonesian Islands.

[US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, walks next to General Secretary of Nahdlatul Ulama Yahya Cholil Staquf after a remark at the Nahdlatul Ulama in Jakarta. Credit: AP]

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(Image Credit: AP)