Indonesia to intensify defence partnerships and maritime security, top diplomat says

JAKARTA — Indonesia will expand its existing defence partnerships and step up its handling of strategic issues impacting its sovereignty, including maritime security and the safety of sea passage and fisheries, its foreign minister said on Friday (Jan 10).

Sugiono, who uses only one name, said Indonesia would continue to advocate for the completion of a code of conduct between the Southeast Asian bloc Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China on the South China Sea and prioritise Asean's centrality.

Indonesia considers itself not a party in disputes over the sea, a waterway crucial to global trade, but has recently been tested by forays by China's coast guard into its exclusive economic zone.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, putting it at odds with Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, with disputes frequent over the conduct in their EEZs of China's massive fleet of coast guard. China insists it is operating lawfully in its territory.

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"In the geostrategic sense, Indonesia is close to a source of regional conflict, the South China Sea. Indonesia's position remains prioritising conflict resolution that is peaceful," Sugiono said, adding Indonesia would keep pushing for constructive dialogue on a code of conduct.

Regional commitments to draft a code were first made in 2002 but talks towards its creation only started in 2017 and progress has been limited, with years spent discussing the framework for negotiations and numerous agreements signed to expedite the process.

Thorny issues include whether the code will be legally binding, enforceable and based on international maritime law, under which a 2016 international arbitration panel ruled Beijing's expansive