Is Indonesia involved in South China Sea dispute?

Indonesia is not party to the dispute over the South China Sea involving China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

What countries have competing claims in the South China Sea?

China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over the sea—and the sea’s estimated 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—have antagonized competing claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Does China own the South China Sea?

The nine-dash line area claimed by the Republic of China (1912–1949), later the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which covers most of the South China Sea and overlaps with the exclusive economic zone claims of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Why is Indonesia important to the US?

The U.S. has welcomed Indonesia’s contributions to regional security, especially its leading role in helping restore democracy in Cambodia and in mediating territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

What states are involved in the territorial dispute over the South China Sea?

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam contest China’s claim to almost all of the South China Sea. The countries have wrangled over territory for decades but tension has steadily increased in recent years.

Is China’s claim to the Natuna Islands a threat to Indonesia?

Then, in 2014, Indonesia’s top military officer accused China of including the waters near the Natuna Islands in its self-proclaimed line and cautioned that China’s military power could destabilize Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the head of Indonesia’s maritime security agency called Chinese claims in the area a “ real threat ” to his country.

Is Indonesia a party to the South China Sea dispute?

Indonesia does not consider itself a party to the South China Sea dispute, but Beijing claims historic rights to areas overlapping Indonesia’s EEZ around the Natuna Islands. Beijing demarks its claims on maps with a nine-dash line.

Did China take the warnings about Indonesia’s maritime policy seriously?

Still, China did not seem to have taken the warnings. By the early 2010s, Indonesian maritime authorities had begun to routinely arrest Chinese fishermen in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone, leading to some tense moments.

What is the China-Indonesia standoff all about?

Indonesia summoned the Chinese ambassador to Jakarta and issued a strong diplomatic protest. During several weeks of the ensuing stand-off, the Indonesian military deployed warships and fighter jets into the area as both sides traded barbs through the press.