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Prabowo’s new approach to RI-China relations
The President’s recent move as regards Beijing's claims in the South China Sea through the Indonesia-China JDA shows that he is boldly forging a new pathway toward mutually beneficial bilateral development with the Asian superpower.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Saturday, November 9, 2024. (Reuters/Florence Lo)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto is a realistic general who faces reality bravely, without pretense or mere talk, and he has proved this in the recent bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This holds especially true in the ninth of the two leaders’ 14-point joint statement, a point that point has attracted the attention of many, if not sparked a debate. It emphasizes the need for both sides to create more bright spots in their maritime cooperation.
Point 9 specifically relates to China’s claim over the South China Sea (SCS), which overlaps Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the North Natuna Sea, and the two countries reached an important understanding of joint development in areas with overlapping claims.
Indonesia and China agreed to establish an intergovernmental joint steering committee to explore and advance relevant cooperation based on the principles of "mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, flexibility, pragmatism and consensus", in line with their respective laws and regulations.
Both sides also affirmed that this cooperation remained within the context and concept formulated with ASEAN countries, known as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), which are based on consensus building in maintaining peace and stability in the SCS.
The 10th point in the joint statement indicates that both parties will build a new pillar of bilateral defense and security cooperation. The previous strategic cooperation between China and Indonesia covered the four pillars of economic and trade cooperation, social and cultural cooperation, maritime cooperation and infrastructure and connectivity cooperation.
The fifth pillar of defense and security cooperation represents an expansion of the 2007 Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) into a more holistic, integrated agreement. This fifth pillar includes four detailed aspects: broader development cooperation, including counterterrorism and transnational crime; military and civil cooperation, including capacity building for security institutions; joint exercises, including for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; and maritime security, including maritime safety efforts and combating crimes at sea.
