South China Sea Conflict Heats Up, Indonesia Nears U.S.
AUTHOR: RALPH JENNINGS/VOA INDONESIA
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.COM – Indonesia, like the big Asian countries The rest of the Southeast, is enhancing its military ties with United States (US) amid increasing Chinese pressure in the Sea South China is in dispute, analysts say.
In December 2021, Beijing demanded that Indonesia stop activities oil and gas drilling in the north of the Natuna Islands which is located in the southernmost part of the South China Sea. The Indonesian government said the area as the North Natuna Sea.
According to the US-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, on July and August, Chinese coast guard ships patrol the site drilling carried out by the Indonesian side near the islands the. A Chinese survey ship even conducted a seabed survey in Indonesias exclusive economic zone.
STOP OIL AND GAS DRILLING, CLAIMS AS THE REGION
[The Indonesian Air Forces F-16 fighter jet flies over the Indonesian Navy warship while conducting operations in Natuna, near the South China Sea, January 10 2020.]ANTARA/REUTERS via VOA INDONESIA Air Force F-16 fighter jets flying aboard the Indonesian Navy warship while conducting operations in Natuna, near the South China Sea, January 10, 2020. China says about 90 percent of the sea area of 3.5 million square kilometers as its territory. Beijing uses historical usage records as the basis of the claim. Four other Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan opposes all or part of Chinas claims. All of them appreciate the activities carried out in the region, be it for oil, natural gas, shipping lanes, and fisheries.
MILITARY TRAINING
The Indonesian Army announced this week that its troops and the military US expands annual Garuda Shield bilateral exercise this year followed by 14 countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and England.
News site GBP Aerospace & Defense reports that the training year this, which will take place on August 1-14, will be practice the biggest ever done in the country.
[US Army Soldiers in the opening of the Joint Shield Exercise Garuda 2021 at the Army Combat Training Center in Baturaja, South Sumatra.]ANTARA/REUTERS via VOA INDONESIA Army Soldier US Army at the opening of the 2021 Garuda Shield Joint Exercise at the Center Army Combat Exercise in Baturaja, South Sumatra analysts say because of Beijings threats in the South China Sea, Indonesia is increasingly considering the US and other Western allies as military supporters. This causes Indonesia to look to the US and other countries, but for the US in particular, as a kind of counterbalance, says Carl Thayer, professor emeritus of politics at the University of New South Wales at Australia.
INCLUDING PUTIIN INVITATION TO INDONESIAN SUMMIT
President Joko Widodo said in 2014 that Indonesia would become a global maritime fulcrum of power between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific through changes in domestic and foreign policy that includes strengthening maritime security and protection of boundaries maritime.
