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Are Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia about to get tough on Beijing’s South China Sea claims?
- When Indonesia sent warships to the Natunas this week, it became the latest Southeast Asian nation to stand up to China’s maritime assertiveness
- Vietnam and Malaysia are likely allies in the cause, but Chinese patronage means other countries will be less inclined to make waves
Reading Time:7 minutes
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When Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited a small archipelago on the edge of the South China Sea this week, he sent a message to the world.
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“There are no more debates. De facto, de jure, Natuna is Indonesia,” said Widodo as he met fishermen, promised investment and reiterated his long-standing position on the sovereignty of the Natuna Islands.
The Natunas, which lie roughly 1,100km south of the Spratly Islands, are at the centre of a spat between Indonesia and China that this week forced its way into headlines across the world.
They are surrounded by resource-rich waters that China claims as part of its traditional fishing grounds and to reinforce these claims Beijing has in recent weeks sent coastguard ships to escort its fishing vessels into the surrounding area.
On Wednesday, that prompted a forceful response from Jakarta, which deployed fighter jets and warships to the islands ahead of Widodo’s visit and said it would send hundreds of fishermen to the Natunas to keep an eye out for foreign vessels.
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Such strong action is notable from Jakarta, which has long been aloof towards the territorial disputes between Beijing and most of its neighbours in the South China Sea. Indonesia is not a claimant in any South China Sea dispute with China. But the exclusive economic zone it says extends from the Natuna Islands overlaps with waters claimed by China as traditional fishing grounds.
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