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Prabowo should brief his ASEAN colleagues on his meeting with Xi Jinping
Our neighbors have the right to hear about the actual situation from Prabowo himself.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and President Prabowo Subianto attend a welcome ceremony on Nov. 9, 2024, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AFP/Florence Lo)
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s a foreign policy-focused president, President Prabowo Subianto has made it clear that for the next five years, Indonesia will stand out in anticipating and resolving rising global tensions in many parts of the world, such as in the Indo-Pacific, more specifically in the South China Sea (SCS). China is becoming more assertive in forcing its unilateral claims on nearly all resource-rich marine areas in Southeast Asia. Neighbors expect the new President to continue in a leadership role, including facing China as his predecessor did.
The 10 ASEAN members must adjust to the military buildup of the United States and its allies. China also has problems that overlap with Japan and South Korea. Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un continues to make nuclear war threats against Japan, South Korea and the US. It can be just a matter of time before the military rivalry expands to the Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
However, Indonesia is likely to lose its credibility, especially among countries with overlapping claims on the SCS like Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The joint statement of Prabowo and Xi Jinping, which was issued after their bilateral summit in Beijing on Nov. 9, implied that Indonesia recognizes China's nine-dash line map. Indonesia is not a claimant to the SCS but also faces the aggressive presence of Chinese naval vessels and fishermen in the North Natuna Sea.
According to Article 5 of Law No 43/2008 on state borders, Indonesia has direct land borders with Malaysia, New Papua Guinea and Timor Leste, and sea borders with Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, India and Thailand. Indonesia does not have any border with China.
The 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) recognizes Indonesia's 200 miles of exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The UN rejects China's claim on the SCS and its nine (now 10) dash-line map. So, where does the problem of overlapping claims come from?
Prabowo and Xi agreed to jointly develop waters where the two countries have overlapping claims. It is a politically binding agreement, and therefore, President Prabowo should explain to his ASEAN colleagues and our nation what is going on with the joint statement. The policy change, if real, will damage Indonesia's credibility in the international community.
Our neighbors have the right to know the actual situation from Prabowo himself. Did Indonesia change its position on the SCS and its UN-recognized sovereign rights to the Natuna Sea? From a media perspective, it is indeed a political blunder if Indonesia is making concessions regarding its EEZ to China.
