Refer Report
China and Indonesia, where tensions over sovereignty have been growing, have agreed to jointly develop and cooperate in the North Natuna Sea of the South China Sea, where conflict has arisen.
On the 9th, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met for a summit meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, this afternoon. At the meeting, the two leaders agreed to solidify the strategic foundation of the two countries through all-round cooperation that adds ‘security’ to existing areas of cooperation. After the meeting, officials from various fields in both countries signed cooperation documents in various fields, including joint mineral resource development and water resource protection and development.
Among the areas of strengthening cooperation between the two countries, one that is attracting attention is maritime cooperation. Tensions between China and Indonesia have recently been rising in the South China Sea and the North Natuna Sea. Chinese Coast Guard ships have appeared here several times since President Prabowo took office.
On this day, President Xi Jinping and President Prabowo said in a joint statement after the summit, “We have reached an important agreement on joint development and cooperation in sea areas that both countries claim overlap with,” and “We agreed to establish an intergovernmental joint steering committee.” . The two countries also said they would strengthen cooperation in areas such as conservation and protection of fisheries resources, marine science, and environmental protection in the region.
The North Natuna Sea is Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and borders the South China Sea to the north. It is known as an area rich in resources such as fishing grounds and natural gas. China claims that the North Natuna Sea is territorial waters within the ‘South Sea nine-dash line’. However, in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis, and Indonesia established a military base in the area.
Despite territorial tensions, Indonesia appears to have made a pragmatic choice to strengthen cooperation with China, which has great economic influence. China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner. China’s investment in Indonesia amounted to $7.3 billion (approximately 10.2 trillion won) last year. Investment areas also span a variety of fields, including manufacturing, transportation, and new and renewable energy. Chinese electric vehicle company BYD plans to invest $1.3 billion (about 1.77 trillion won) to build a manufacturing plant in Indonesia and begin full-scale production in 2026. During President Prabowo’s visit to China, Chinese companies plan to sign investment contracts worth more than $10 billion (about 14 trillion won) with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, Indonesia’s official Antara news agency reported. President Prabowo visited China last March when he was elected president, and chose China as the first country he visited after taking office on the 20th of last month.
Attention is also focused on the future actions of Indonesia, which has pursued equidistant diplomacy with China and the United States. After completing his visit to China, President Prabowo is expected to visit the United States and meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump.
Reporter Lee Jeong-yeon xingxing@hani.co.kr
Source: Korean