Indonesia vessel is holding passing drills with China, navy spokesperson says
First Admiral Tunggul, a Navy spokesperson, said the exercises were not intended for "war fighting", but were merely "passing exercises", which is consistent with Indonesia's non-aligned foreign policy.
Indonesia's navy has announced it will conduct exercises with Chinese warships off the eastern coast of Taiwan, according to First Admiral Tunggul, a Navy spokesperson. The drills are not meant for war fighting, but rather are "passing exercises" consistent with Indonesia's non-aligned foreign policy. Taiwan has expressed strong disapproval of the Chinese plan, claiming Beijing seeks to falsely imply jurisdiction over the area.
China, however, asserts sovereignty over Taiwan and insists on controlling the waters surrounding the island. The Chinese defense ministry stated that a naval vessel and an Indonesian frigate will perform a "passage exercise" east of Taiwan in mid-August to strengthen joint operational capabilities and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.
Taiwan's top China policy body strongly condemned China's military provocation, stating it aims to create a false impression of Chinese jurisdiction over the waters east of Taiwan, infringing upon national sovereignty and maritime rights. The timing of these drills coincides with Taiwan's largest military exercises of the year, intended to prepare its population for a potential Chinese invasion.
China regularly deploys warships, fighter jets, and coast guard vessels around Taiwan to assert its claim of sovereignty. In June, Chinese ships began patrolling an area near Taiwan's east coast, which Taipei deemed provocative and expansionist in disguise. Later, China announced traffic control measures for the Taiwan Strait as Typhoon Dolphin approached the region.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
