China Protests Pentagon Release Regarding Austin and Prabowo Meeting

Disputes in the South China Sea must be resolved immediately because they pose a risk of open conflict in the region.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in China Protes Rilis Pentagon Terkait Pertemuan Austin dan Prabowo

MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES VIA AP

Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies shows Chinese vessels in the disputed area of Karang Whitsun in the South China Sea on March 23, 2021.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The Chinese Embassy in Jakarta has objected to the press statement issued by the United States Department of Defense regarding the defense cooperation with Indonesia in the South China Sea. The press statement stated that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto both agreed that China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea were inconsistent with international law.

"After comparing the US press statement with the press statement released by the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, the sentence that accuses and corners China only appears in the US Ministry of Defense press release," said the objection response signed by the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta, Monday (28/8/2023)."

Read also: Is there still an "ASEAN Way"?

China, citing a press release from the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta, opposes any efforts to destabilize the Indo-Pacific region. China also mentioned that it is collaborating with various countries in the region to enhance prosperity and security.

The release issued by the US Department of Defense on Saturday (8/26/2023) explained the results of the meeting between Austin and Prabowo. It was stated that the Indo-Pacific Vision of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is in line with the US Indo-Pacific Vision. Essentially, it is about achieving defense, security, peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR

Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (from left to right) are preparing to start a trilateral discussion in Jakarta on Wednesday (12/7/2023). The activity is being held on the sidelines of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The release also mentioned that Indonesia and the US, who have had diplomatic relations for 75 years, have held 220 defense cooperation activities per year. These come in the form of joint exercises, discussions, and technology exchanges.

The joint exercise of Garuda Shield, which initially only involved the two countries, is now followed by 19 countries. The United States is also Indonesia's largest partner in the revitalization and updating of weaponry and logistics.

Read also: "Silver Bullet" Indonesia

Referring to the press release, the United States Department of Defense is closely monitoring China's extensive and expansive activities in the South China Sea. These actions violate the United Nations Charter, which asserts that the sovereignty of each country's borders must be respected.

The South China Sea is still in dispute between China and several ASEAN members, namely the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. China implements a system called Nine-Dash Line which claims that two-thirds of the South China Sea belongs to China. According to the theory, this system is based on China's historical movement in the waters.

MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS GREG JOHNSON/U.S. NAVY VIA AP

sebuah insiden terjadi ketika kapal perang Tiongkok, PLA Tongling, diduga menyerang USS Milius. Namun, pihak Tiongkok membantah terlibat dalam insiden tersebut. Hingga kini, belum ada laporan korban atau kerusakan pada kapal perusak USS Milius. Kejadian ini dianggap sebagai eskalasi lebih lanjut dari ketegangan antara Amerika Serikat dan Tiongkok di wilayah Asia Pasifik. Foto berikutnya memperlihatkan pertemuan antara Perdana Menteri Indonesia, Joko Widodo, dan Presiden Rusia, Vladimir Putin, di markas besar Kremlin pada 25 Maret 2023. Kedua pemimpin membahas kerjasama dalam bidang energi dan pertahanan, serta meningkatkan hubungan diplomatik antara kedua negara. Selain itu, delegasi Indonesia yang dipimpin oleh Menteri Luar Negeri Retno Marsudi bertemu dengan Menteri Luar Negeri Tiongkok, Wang Yi, di Moskow untuk membahas isu terkait ketegangan di Laut China Selatan. Indonesia menegaskan pentingnya menghormati hukum internasional dan menjaga perdamaian dan stabilitas di kawasan tersebut.

The Philippines challenged this claim to the International Court of Justice. A decree issued in 2016 declared a victory for the Philippines and that the Nine-Dash Line was invalid. However, the dispute continues because the code of conduct (code of conduct) between China and ASEAN has not been completed.

The Philippines is the country most infuriated by this matter, resulting in anti-China sentiment growing in the country. According to local media GMA, Philippine Military Chief General Romeo Browner stated that out of various foreign ships in the South China Sea, as many as 85 percent or equivalent to 400 ships are flagged under China. This includes military vessels, patrol ships, fishing vessels, and research vessels.

Read also: ASEAN Closes Front to Face Geopolitical Risk

Tension escalated on August 5th when a Chinese military ship fired water cannons at a Philippine patrol ship. The patrol ship was carrying supplies for the Manila military ship docked on one of the reefs in the South China Sea. Manila deliberately placed the ship in the middle of the South China Sea to show its territorial boundaries and prevent China from claiming it.

This action was responded to by the US. From the Seventh Fleet Command Base of the US in Yokosuka, Japan, the leader of the battlefield, Rear Admiral Karl Thomas, flew to Manila. After that, he flew with senior officials of the Philippine military to monitor the South China Sea. The Seventh Fleet of the US has an operational area of ​​124 million square kilometers. They have 27,000 troops, 70 ships, and 150 aircraft.

Also read: Assumed to be slow, ASEAN is urged to strengthen decision-making

Political expert from the University of the Philippines (UP), Richard Heydarian, revealed in a discussion at The Habibie Center last week that a new defense pact, JAPHUS, is becoming more likely to be formed. This is a pact between Japan, the Philippines, and the US aimed at containing China, specifically in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas.

"ASEAN needs to act faster in resolving the COC. Public sentiment in the Philippines has a significant influence on the government's decisions. If ASEAN's centrality is indeed important, there should be a stronger push to resolve this dispute," he said. (REUTERS)