Indonesia and Japan declared their cooperation on March 28 to avoid the Chinese Communist Party changing the status quo in the region. Indonesian scholars say this means Indonesia is adamant that it refuses to negotiate with the Chinese Communist Party on sovereignty over the Natuna Sea, that changes to the status quo in the South China Sea affect regional interests, and that Japan is an important partner for Indonesia in protecting the security of the sea.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo (Prabowo Subianto) met in Tokyo on the 28th, and told the media after the meeting that they strongly oppose any action by the Chinese Communist Party that would raise regional tensions, and declared that they would strengthen cooperation to avoid unilateral changes to the status quo in the East and South China Seas, and would also hold joint exercises in the South China Sea.
Indonesia and Japan will then hold a “foreign and defense ministers’ meeting” on the 30th. The two countries created the “2+2 talks” in December 2015, and the meeting will be held for the second Time on the 30th, which is being watched at a time of regional tensions.
Khairul Fahmi, co-founder of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), an Indonesian think tank, noted in an interview on the 29th that the statement by the Indonesian and Japanese defense ministers sent a strong message that Indonesia would “insist on refusing to negotiate with China” over sovereignty over the North Natuna Sea. The statement also sent a strong message that Indonesia would “insist on refusing to negotiate” with China over sovereignty over the North Natuna Sea.
The statement also shows that Indonesia continues to adhere to its position of not choosing sides but cooperating with regional countries, and Japan is a very important partner for Indonesia in the face of the standoff between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in the South China Sea, Kairul said.
Indonesia is not a claimant to the South China Sea, but the Chinese Communist Party claims that the exclusive economic waters of Indonesia’s Natuna Islands are within China’s “nine-dash line” and that the Communist Party has the right to fish. For years, fishing boats and official vessels have been trespassing in the waters, prompting Indonesia to protest. The Chinese government has asked Indonesia to negotiate over the overlapping waters.
Indonesia has repeatedly stressed that China’s nine-dashed line violates UNCLOS, and has written to the UN several times stating that it does not accept China’s nine-dashed line claim. It has also explicitly rejected the Chinese Communist Party’s request for consultation on the so-called overlapping waters, saying that the waters are under Indonesian sovereignty and do not overlap with Chinese waters, and that there is no need for consultation.
Nanto Sriyanto, a researcher at the Center for Political Studies of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said the status quo in the South China Sea is changing, and this will affect regional interests. Statements by the Indonesian and Japanese defense ministers show that both countries believe it is in their interest to deal with regional disputes in accordance with international law.
Sriyanto said that the Chinese Communist Party’s maritime and fishing activities near Indonesia’s exclusive economic waters “are tantamount to coming to our doorstep” and affect Indonesia’s maritime sovereignty, which is an urgent and important issue. As the status quo in the South China Sea is changing and the interests and sovereignty of regional countries are being affected, Indonesia must strengthen its ability to monitor the dynamics of the sea and protect its sovereignty and security.
According to a press release from The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the first “2 plus 2 talks” meeting, Indonesia proposed that the talks be held regularly every two years, and Japan agreed, but now it is only the second meeting after more than five years.
Both Kairul and Surianto believe that the lack of regular meetings in the past may be due to the fact that each side has its own internal issues to deal with, and that Prabowo attaches great importance to defense diplomacy, unlike his predecessor. In addition, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last October that Indonesia wanted to cooperate with Japan in defense technology, which also required follow-up discussions between the two ministers.
Suryanto pointed out that Indonesia’s relations with Japan had previously been dominated by economic and development-related programs, and that the reconvening of the “2 plus 2 talks” now “represents Indonesia’s view of Japan as an important partner in maintaining regional security.
He said that Japan has always supported the sovereign integrity of the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries along the Strait of Malacca, and has assisted Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in increasing their ability to monitor and guard the waters. Based on these foundations, future cooperation between Indonesia and Japan in security and military matters will be enhanced.
Indonesia was under Japanese rule for three years before it broke away from Dutch colonialism, and Kairul said Japan had a great influence on the development of Indonesia’s military. At that time, Japan established troops in Indonesia and trained young Indonesians to help fight against the Allies. They went on to become a major force in Indonesia’s war of independence, and many became key players in the Indonesian national army, maintaining significant influence in the political and economic spheres until the New Order era under former President Suharto.
The military relationship between Indonesia and Japan has always been stable, and in recent years Japan has been keen to promote cooperation with Indonesia in the defense industry and technology, and joint military exercises between Indonesia and Japan have become more intensive and gradually more public in recent years, Kairul said.
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