China responded on Thursday to a warning from Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan that Indonesia might follow the Philippinesâ step of taking China to an international tribunal if China and Indonesia could not reach an amicable solution to their dispute over the Natuna Islands
hina responded on Thursday to a warning from Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan that Indonesia might follow the Philippines' step of taking China to an international tribunal if China and Indonesia could not reach an amicable solution to their dispute over the Natuna Islands.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China did not dispute Indonesia's sovereignty over the Natunas, but said that certain 'maritime disputes' remained, though it was unclear to which disputes he was referring.
'We have consistently maintained that China and Indonesia must find a means of appropriate resolution through direct negotiations and consultation, with respect for international law and on the basis of historical fact,' Hong said as quoted by Reuters in Beijing.
The Philippines has taken China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, a case Beijing refuses to recognize. For years, China has insisted that disputes with rival claimants be handled bilaterally.
China's prompt response to Luhut's statement was met with surprise by the Foreign Ministry.
Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told Reuters on Thursday that Indonesia had received no official response to a request to China to clarify its position over the South China Sea. Indonesia does not recognize China's boundary specification known as the nine-dash line, which touches the Natuna Islands.
When asked about Luhut's threat, Arrmanatha answered, 'We cannot preempt things before we know how they evolve. But what is clear is that we are not a claimant state and we don't recognize the nine-dash line, as we have made clear to China.'
On Wednesday, Luhut reiterated Indonesia's position that China has no legal basis to claim parts of the Natuna Islands. 'We don't want to see any power projection in this area. We would like a peaceful solution by promoting dialogue. The nine-dash line is a problem we are facing, but not only us. It also directly [affects] the interests of Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines.'
Luhut's statement was a divergence from Indonesia's usual low-key approach to the sensitive issue of South China Sea territorial claims. The issue will again come to the surface next week when the Philippines hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, and again with the East Asia Summit set to take place in Kuala Lumpur later this month. The 10-member ASEAN regional grouping will host dialogues with partners including China and the U.
Separately, Defense Minister Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu reiterated that the approach to issues in the South China Sea should prioritize defense diplomacy, including joint military patrols of the vast area of water.
The former Army chief hinted that China had softened its stance on the overlapping territorial disputes in the oil- and gas-rich territory. 'This was reflected by China's deputy military chief, Fan Chang Long, who said China's presence in the South China Sea was aimed at providing security in our mutual backyard,' Antara news agency quoted Ryamizard as saying on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Navy's Western Fleet Command (Koarmabar) chief insisted on Thursday that the deployment of seven warships (KRI) and jet fighters in the Natuna Islands and on Indonesia's maritime border near the South China Sea had nothing to do with rising tensions in the area.
'We're carrying out routine patrols, there is no tension. I generally deploy 32 warships to patrol the areas under my authority, including in Natuna,' Rear Adm. Achmad Taufiqoerahman told reporters.
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