Indonesia Says It Has No Overlapping South China Sea Claims with China, Despite Deal

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China November 9, 2024. (Reuters)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China November 9, 2024. (Reuters)
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Indonesia Says It Has No Overlapping South China Sea Claims with China, Despite Deal

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China November 9, 2024. (Reuters)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China November 9, 2024. (Reuters)

Indonesia said on Monday it does not recognize China's claims over the South China Sea, despite signing a maritime development deal with Beijing, as some analysts warned the pact risked compromising its sovereign rights.

Beijing has long clashed with Southeast Asian neighbors over the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety, based on a "nine-dash line" on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of several countries.

Joint agreements with China in the strategic waterway have been sensitive for years, with some nations wary of deals they fear could be interpreted as legitimizing Beijing's vast claims.

In 2016, an arbitral tribunal said the Chinese claim, based on its old maps, has no basis in international law, a decision China refuses to recognize.

A joint statement issued at the weekend during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's visit to Beijing mentioned the two countries had "reached important common understanding on joint development in areas of overlapping claims".

NO LEGAL BASIS

Indonesia's foreign ministry has repeatedly said the country is a non-claimant state in the South China Sea and has no overlapping jurisdiction with China.

On Monday, the ministry said its position was unchanged and the agreement would have no impact on its sovereign rights.

"Indonesia reiterates its position that those (Chinese) claims have no international legal basis," it said.

"The partnership does not impact sovereignty, sovereign rights or Indonesia's jurisdiction in the North Natuna Sea."

China's foreign ministry said the clause "clarifies the political consensus and direction of cooperation between the two sides on joint development in the overlapping maritime areas claimed by the two countries."

A ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said Indonesia and China would further explore topics such as the content and mode of co-operation, adding there was a historical basis for China's South China Sea claims and that consensus would benefit both.

China's U-shaped line, based on its old maps, begins off central Vietnam and runs into waters off Indonesia's Natuna islands, more than 1,000 km (620 miles) south of the island of Hainan.

It crosses into the EEZs of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, and is patrolled by an armada of the Chinese coast guard, which neighbors accuse of aggression and seeking to disrupt energy and fisheries activity.

China typically says its vessels are preventing incursions into its territory.

Indonesia's foreign ministry said the economic agreement on maritime issues with China covered fisheries and fish conservation, and hoped it would be a model to safeguard peace and friendship.

Some Indonesian analysts, however, said signing such an agreement could have repercussions and be interpreted as a change in stance.

"If we refer to the official joint statement, that means we recognize overlapping claims," said maritime analyst Aristyo Rizka Darmawan, adding it could compromise Indonesia's sovereign rights to exploit resources in its EEZ.

Indonesia might have signed the agreement with the intention of boosting economic ties, he added.

Klaus Heinrich Raditio, a lecturer in Chinese politics, said Indonesia never had overlapping claims to begin with and the clause's inclusion in the statement was "inappropriate".

"This joint statement puts our national interests at risk," he said, adding that it could still be renegotiated.



Iranian President: We Must Manage Relationship and Confrontation with the US Ourselves

Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.
Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.
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Iranian President: We Must Manage Relationship and Confrontation with the US Ourselves

Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.
Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on Tuesday for the “management” of the tense relations between Tehran and Washington, emphasizing the need to “deal with enemies with patience.” This statement comes a week after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
According to official media, Pezeshkian told current and former senior officials in the diplomatic sector that Iran cannot ignore its longstanding adversary, the United States.
“Whether we like it or not, we will have to engage with the United States on both regional and international fronts; therefore, it is better that we manage this relationship and confrontation ourselves,” he stated.
Pezeshkian was speaking at an “advisory” meeting on foreign policy with former Iranian FMs and members of his administration, including Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharazi, the top advisors to the Supreme Leader on international affairs and foreign policy, along with former foreign minister and head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi.
The Iranian presidency’s website quoted Pezeshkian as saying that his administration’s approach to foreign policy would be “within the framework of a comprehensive strategy aligned with the directives of the governing system,” indirectly referencing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The reformist-backed president stated: “We must treat our friends generously and approach our enemies with patience,” underscoring the importance of managing foreign relations and addressing international tensions to solve internal issues and promote development.
Several officials in Pezeshkian’s administration, along with pro-government newspapers, have hinted at discussions on the possibility of high-level negotiations with the Trump administration.
Earlier on Tuesday, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that Iran would pursue whatever serves its “interests,” in response to a question on potential direct talks with the Trump administration.
“The government will strive to achieve whatever ensures the country’s interests and the values of the revolution,” she said, according to the government’s ISNA news agency.
She added that the final decision on negotiations rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council under his authority.