Indonesia Steps Against 'Any Power Projection' in South China Sea

The Indonesian maritime minister said Tuesday Jakarta opposes "any power projection" in the South China Sea, saying Indonesia doesn't recognize China's so-called "Nine-Dash Line," a demarcation line Beijing uses for their territorial claims in the region.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Indonesia opposes power projection by any major nation in the South China Sea but also wants to maintain good relations with Beijing, Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said in remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

“We don’t want to see any power projection over there,” Pandjaitan, a retired senior general and former chief of staff to President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday. “We like to see stability in that area.”

Pandjaitan noted that more than $5 trillion worth of world trade passed through the South China Sea every year and that Jakarta refused to recognize China’s claim to sovereignty over 90 percent of the area of the sea.

“We don't recognize [Beijing’s] nine dotted line,” he told the forum.

The Nine-Dash Line — at various times also referred to as the “10-dash line” and the “11-dash line” — refers to the demarcation line used initially by the government of the People’s Republic of China for their claims of the major part of the South China Sea.

South China Sea claims map

© Photo : Wikipedia/Voice of America

Pandjaitan said Indonesia continued to negotiate with Beijing to solve problems of illegal fishing, but sought to maintain a friendly tone with China throughout the negotiations.