Amidst escalating tensions in the South China Sea, on Thursday, an Indonesian maritime security agency announced that a Chinese Coast Guard ship was expelled for disrupting Indonesia’s survey activities in the region. This marks the second time this week that the ship has been driven out of Indonesian waters.
Although the presence of Chinese Coast Guard ships in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has been noted multiple times, this incident occurred just days after Indonesia’s new President, Prabowo Subianto, took office, adding further significance to the situation.
The Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) stated on Thursday that a Chinese Coast Guard ship approached an Indonesian survey vessel, causing a disruption to the seismic data survey work of Indonesia’s state-owned oil company, Pertamina, in the South China Sea. As a result, the Chinese ship was expelled, marking the second such incident within four days.
On Monday, after spotting the Chinese Coast Guard ship CCG 5402 near the Indonesian survey vessel MV Geo Coral, there was contact between the Indonesian patrol ship and the personnel onboard the Chinese vessel. The Chinese side insisted that the area belonged under Chinese jurisdiction. Subsequently, the Indonesian coast guard and navy vessels drove the ship away.
On Thursday morning, the Chinese Coast Guard ship once again approached the seismic survey location in Indonesia. With no response to Indonesian coast guard’s calls, the vessel was again expelled.
In a statement, Bakamla affirmed that “the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency will continue intensive patrols and monitoring in the North Natuna Sea to ensure smooth seismic survey operations and uphold Indonesia’s sovereignty.”
Chinese vessels frequently enter what Indonesia refers to as the North Natuna Sea, leading to heightened tensions between the two countries.
These incidents occur near the Natuna Islands, about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) from China’s Hainan Island.
The waters lie in the southern part of the South China Sea, with both China and Indonesia claiming sovereignty over the area.
In 2021, Indonesian and Chinese vessels confronted each other for months near oil drilling platforms in the Natuna Sea. At that time, China demanded Indonesia halt drilling activities in what the Chinese considered their territory.
In recent years, conflicts in the disputed waters of the South China Sea between China and neighboring countries have increased, particularly with the Philippines and Vietnam.
Chinese Coast Guard ships also frequently patrol near the James Shoal east of Kalimantan Island and the Natuna Islands. China claims this as its southernmost territory, while Malaysia asserts sovereignty over the area.
China asserts almost full sovereignty over the South China Sea based on its “Nine-Dash Line” on maps, overlapping claims by Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam in the region.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled, based on international law, that China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea lacked legal basis. However, China rejected the ruling.
China asserts its sovereignty by deploying coast guard vessels throughout the South China Sea. However, some neighboring countries accuse Chinese ships of aggression, disrupting their energy development and fishing activities in the region.
(Reference sources: Reuters and Associated Press)