Indonesia neutrality tested by joint naval drill with China
Indonesia maintains a nonaligned foreign policy, but Jakarta's limited participation in a low-level naval exercise with China's navy near Taiwan has raised concerns.
On August 12, an Indonesian frigate joined a joint naval exercise with China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in waters off Taiwan's east coast. The Indonesian Navy frigate KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai paired with the PLAN guided-missile frigate Honghe, with Jakarta describing it as a "passing exercise." The maneuvers occurred during Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drill, which raised concerns among Taiwan and the United States.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the sensitivity of the exercise's location but claimed the vessel's presence was merely part of its transit route back to Indonesia. The incident came after China announced the drill on August 11, with Taipei promptly condemning Beijing's "provocation." Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council also requested further details from the Indonesian government regarding the joint exercise.
The People's Liberation Army has increased pressure on Taiwan with frequent military exercises in the region, particularly since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in 2022. Taiwan, China, and the US have competing interests in the Taiwan Strait, with Beijing considering Taiwan as Chinese territory and potentially using force to reunite the island.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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