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China-Indonesia ties tested following North Natuna stand-off
The territorial tussle threatens Indonesia’s close economic relationship with China, which President Prabowo’s predecessor Jokowi consummated with billions of dollars’ worth of investment.
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A China Coast Guard vessel carries out a flanking maneuver on Jan. 11, 2020, in Indonesian waters off Natuna Island, as viewed from an open hatch of Indonesian Navy warship KRI Usman Harun-359. The naval vessel was on a routine patrol to dispel illegal fishing boats in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
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ndonesia’s maritime patrols drove away a Chinese coast guard vessel twice in a matter of days after it attempted to disrupt energy surveying activities in domestic waters bordering the disputed South China Sea, the latest in a series of scuffles that risked disrupting diplomatic relations.
While Chinese fishing boats and patrol ships have repeatedly intruded into Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), this week’s incidents follow the inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as the country’s eighth president.
Just one day after being forced out by a Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) patrol vessel, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5402 reentered Indonesian waters in the North Natuna Sea on Thursday.
According to a Bakamla press statement, the agency’s director for sea operations ordered the KN Pulau Dana-323 patrol ship to intercept the Chinese vessel upon receiving reports of its unauthorized reentry.
After failing to establish communication with CCG 5402, the Indonesian vessel forced the intruders to leave the country’s continental shelf area to prevent further disruption of seismic survey activities being carried out on behalf of state energy company PT Pertamina.
Bakamla said it would continue to patrol and monitor the North Natuna Sea to ensure Indonesia’s maritime activities proceed without disruption, emphasizing the importance of protecting the country’s sovereign rights over the area, which contains significant oil and gas reserves.
It was the second time this week that the Chinese vessel had entered the region and interfered with Indonesian operations.
