Indonesia Says It Drove Away Chinese Coast Guard Ship in Disputed Waters

Indonesia said on Oct. 24 that they turned away a Chinese coast guard ship on the southern edge of the South China Sea, the second interception within a week in the contested water claimed by China and several Asian nations.
An Indonesian patrolling ship contacted the Chinese vessel, notifying them they had entered Indonesia’s territorial waters. The Chinese coast guard personnel on board insisted that the water was within Chinese jurisdiction, according to Bakamla. In response, the Indonesian side mobilized a patrol aircraft and a navy ship to shadow and escort the Chinese vessel out of the area.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) asserts its sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, one of the world’s major shipping routes, overlapping with the EEZ of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, as well as Taiwan.
Indonesia suggested it won’t back down amid pressure from China.
“Bakamla will continue to conduct intensive patrols and monitoring in the waters of North Natuna to ensure that seismic survey activities run smoothly and maintain Indonesia’s sovereignty and sovereign rights,” according to the Oct. 22 statement.
In response to Indonesia’s accusation, China’s foreign ministry said on Oct. 24 that its coast guard was conducting “routine patrols in waters under China’s jurisdiction in accordance with international law and domestic law.”
“China is ready to enhance communication and consultation with Indonesia through diplomatic channels to properly handle maritime issues between the two countries,” Lin Jian, a spokesperson of the ministry, said at a regular briefing in Beijing.
Lin commented on the matter the same day when China’s new ambassador to Indonesia, Wang Lutong, met with Indoniesia’s defense minister, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
The Indonesia account of the meeting has no mention of the latest Chinese inclusions. It said Sjamsoeddin conveyed the hopes for bolstering cooperation between the two countries, including holding joint drills in the future.