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RI asks China to be more patient on SCS

Indonesia has asked China to be more patient in handling the South China Sea dispute to maintain regional security stability, peace and prosperity

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Thu, February 27, 2014

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RI asks China to be more patient on SCS

I

ndonesia has asked China to be more patient in handling the South China Sea dispute to maintain regional security stability, peace and prosperity.

'€œWith the Chinese principle of maintaining harmonious relations, Indonesia, especially the Indonesian Military [TNI], is hopeful that China will be more patient in resolving the South China Sea dispute,'€ TNI chief Gen. Moeldoko said in Beijing on Wednesday, as reported by Antara news agency.

During a meeting with Chinese Central Military Commission vice chairman, Gen. Fan Changlong, Moeldoko asserted Indonesia'€™s neutrality in the South China Sea dispute.

'€œThe TNI has continued to monitor developments,'€ Moeldoko said.

'€œIndonesia has not sided with any claimant in the disputed waters.'€

He added that the TNI was upbeat that Beijing could solve the South China Sea problem through dialogue and by applying China'€™s harmony principle.

China has claimed most of the South China Sea, pitting itself against other claimants: Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. China also claims parts of Indonesia'€™s Natuna Islands.

Meanwhile, Fan said that China was against internationalization efforts and third-party interventions.

'€œInternationalization efforts and third-party interventions will only make things worse,'€ he said.

'€œTherefore, we agreed to prioritize bilateral dialogue between claimant countries.'€

Fan added that China expected ASEAN countries involved in the dispute to resolve things in accordance with the agreed Declaration of Conduct.

On Tuesday, the Philippine government summoned China'€™s top envoy in Manila to protest what it said was the firing of a water cannon by a Chinese government vessel to drive away Filipino fishermen from Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground claimed by both countries, on Jan. 27. China ignored the protest and called its sovereignty there '€œindisputable'€.

Fan also said that China expected Indonesia to help solve the South China Sea problem.

'€œIndonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia and has a strong influence in ASEAN,'€ he said.

Both China and Indonesia, he asserted, had wide cooperation opportunities in the South China Sea that could make the maritime area safer and help contribute to regional prosperity.

Moeldoko, who was installed as TNI chief on Aug. 30, 2013, will be in China until Friday.

On Tuesday, the TNI chief met his counterpart, the People'€™s Liberation Army chief of general staff, Gen. Fang Fenghui.

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