2-12-2024 (JAKARTA) Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono has moved to quell mounting concerns over the nation’s position regarding South China Sea territorial claims, firmly stating that Jakarta maintains its non-recognition of Beijing’s controversial maritime assertions despite recent diplomatic developments.
The clarification comes in response to widespread speculation following last month’s joint statement with China during President Prabowo Subianto’s Beijing visit, which outlined a “common understanding on joint development in areas of overlapping claims”. The announcement had triggered anxiety among regional observers about Indonesia’s traditional stance on maritime sovereignty.
Addressing parliamentarians, Sugiono emphasised that Indonesia continues to reject the legal basis of China’s “nine-dash line” – Beijing’s contentious demarcation of its claimed territory extending across most of the strategic waterway. “Our fundamental position on sovereignty remains unchanged,” the minister declared, explaining that the recent diplomatic outreach aims to foster beneficial regional cooperation while safeguarding national interests.
The minister revealed that specific areas for joint development projects remain undefined, adding that Indonesia had briefed neighbouring nations about the initiative in an effort to ease regional tensions. The move comes against a backdrop of increasing maritime confrontations, with Indonesia reporting multiple instances of Chinese coastguard incursions into its waters, including three separate incidents in October alone.
International relations expert Yohanes Sulaiman has criticised the recent agreement as potentially undermining the unified stance of Southeast Asian nations against China’s expansive maritime claims. The development is particularly significant given that many regional states have historically avoided similar agreements with Beijing, fearing such arrangements might legitimise Chinese claims extending up to 1,700 kilometres from its mainland.
The diplomatic balancing act reflects the complex nature of Indonesia-China relations, characterised by growing economic ties – particularly in Indonesia’s crucial nickel sector – while managing territorial disputes. The situation has drawn heightened attention following a 2016 international ruling that dismissed China’s historical claims to most of the South China Sea, a decision Beijing continues to contest.
