Indonesia Deploys Warship to Monitor China Coast Guard Vessel
Indonesia's naval chief announced on Saturday that the country has sent a warship, maritime patrol plane, and drone to its North Natuna Sea to monitor a Chinese coast guard vessel sailing in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for the past two weeks.
Facts
- Indonesia's naval chief announced on Saturday that the country has sent a warship, maritime patrol plane, and drone to its North Natuna Sea to monitor a Chinese coast guard vessel sailing in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for the past two weeks.
- China's CCG 5901 — the world's largest coast guard vessel nicknamed "the monster" for its size — has reportedly been sailing near Indonesia's Tuna Block gas field and Vietnam's Chim Sao oil and gas field since Dec. 30.
- This comes shortly after Jakarta approved a $3B plan to develop the Tuna offshore gas field, which is expected to export gas to Vietnam by 2026 and reach a peak production capacity of 115M standard cubic feet per day by 2027.
- Indonesia claims that under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) — which grants international vessels navigation rights through an EEZ — the North Natuna Sea, or the southern end of the South China Sea, is part of its EEZ.
- But China claims the resource-rich maritime region rests within its expanded territory in the South China Sea, marked by a U-shaped "nine-dash line."
- In 2021, China and Indonesia clashed over an oil rig that had been conducting tests in Indonesia's gas-field development area, with China claiming the drilling was taking place in its territory.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Offshore-Technology, and Star.
Narratives
- Anti-China narrative, as provided by Asia Times. By constantly sending coast guard vessels into its waters, China strategically pushes Indonesia to acknowledge the PRC's self-proclaimed maritime rights. Given that China continues to lurk in the waters around the North Natuna Sea, Jakarta must take diplomatic steps to protect Indonesia's national interests, sovereignty, and citizens.
- Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. China has historical and legal rights to fish in the North Natuna Sea and to sail ships through Indonesia's so-called EEZ. Although Indonesia's off-shore drilling in China's waters violates its territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Chinese coast guards only carry out routine patrols to maintain maritime order and protect the country's financial interests.
