Indonesia Successfully Repels Chinese Coast Guard Ship in Contested Waters

October 24, 2024 TruthUSA

Indonesia does not have claims in the South China Sea, but China’s ’10-dash line’ to demarcate its claims overlaps Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

On Oct. 24, Indonesia reported turning away a Chinese coast guard ship on the southern edge of the South China Sea, marking the second interception within a week in the disputed waters claimed by China and multiple Asian nations.

The initial encounter took place on Oct. 21, when a Chinese vessel disrupted a seismic data survey operation conducted by PT Pertamina, a significant oil and natural gas producer owned by the Indonesian government, as per an Oct. 22 statement from Indonesia’s maritime security agency, Bakamla.

An Indonesian patrolling ship informed the Chinese vessel that it had entered Indonesia’s territorial waters. The Chinese coast guard personnel aboard claimed the water was within Chinese jurisdiction, according to Bakamla. In response, Indonesia mobilized a patrol aircraft and a navy ship to escort the Chinese vessel out of the area.

Subsequently, on Oct. 24, a Chinese coast guard vessel re-entered the waters off Indonesia’s Natuna Islands, an area known for its abundant fishing and natural gas reserves. Indonesia has renamed these disputed waters the North Natuna Sea, falling within the country’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under international law.

Bakamla stated that their attempts to communicate with the Chinese vessel went unanswered this time. Instead, the Chinese Coast Guard challenged Indonesia’s survey activities before being expelled from the area once again, Bakamla reported in an Oct. 24 statement.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) asserts sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a critical global shipping route, overlapping with the EEZs of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

In 2016, an international tribunal rejected the CCP’s sweeping sovereignty claims, stating that China lacks a legal basis for claiming historic rights to the South China Sea. The CCP refused to accept this ruling and instead enacted its own maritime regulations, authorizing its coast guard to detain foreign individuals for up to 60 days if they enter the waters claimed by China.

In August 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources unveiled a new map with ten dashes in a U shape to assert claims in the region, leading to protests from neighboring countries.

Indonesia indicated it will not yield to pressure from China.

“Bakamla will maintain intensive patrols and monitoring in the waters of North Natuna to ensure smooth seismic survey activities and uphold Indonesia’s sovereignty and sovereign rights,” as stated in the Oct. 22 announcement.

In response to Indonesia’s allegations, China’s foreign ministry stated on Oct. 24 that its coast guard was performing “routine patrols in waters under China’s jurisdiction in accordance with international law and domestic law.”

“China is willing to enhance communication and consultation with Indonesia through diplomatic channels to appropriately address maritime issues between the two countries,” said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the ministry, during a regular briefing in Beijing.

Lin made these comments on the same day that China’s new ambassador to Indonesia, Wang Lutong, met with Indonesia’s defense minister, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.

The Indonesian account of the meeting did not mention the recent Chinese incursions. It mentioned Sjamsoeddin expressing hopes for strengthening cooperation between the two countries, including conducting joint drills in the future.

“I am dedicated to enhancing our cooperation, particularly in the field of defense,” Sjamsoeddin told Wang, according to an Oct. 24 statement.

At the time of publication, neither Wang nor the Chinese embassy in Indonesia had issued a statement about the meeting. Wang, a former director general for European affairs in the Chinese foreign ministry, arrived in Jakarta earlier this month.

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