Chinese fishing vessels in spat with Indonesia leave Natunas. Friends again?

The Chinese vessels at the centre of a spat between Beijing and Jakarta over illegal fishing activity have left waters around the Natuna Islands, according to the Southeast Asian nation’s armed forces.

Major General Sisriadi, head of the armed forces’ information centre, on Thursday told local media that air reconnaissance conducted by the army showed the Chinese ships had left the waters around the islands, located off the northwest coast of Borneo in the South China Sea.

“The Chinese vessels that have conducted illegal fishing have exited the [exclusive economic zone], after our president’s arrival in Natuna,” Sisriadi said.

Jakarta has sent additional naval vessels and fighter jets to conduct patrols in the waters off the islands, where Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited on Wednesday, asserting Jakarta’s control of the area.

China and Indonesia on Wednesday appeared to have offered olive branches amid the maritime dispute, with both sides referring to each other as “friends” and saying the dispute would not affect Chinese investment in the Southeast Asian nation.

The countries have engaged in a war of words after Indonesia announced a diplomatic protest with China on December 30 over alleged illegal fishing by Chinese boats, escorted by the Chinese Coast Guard, within Indonesia’s maritime exclusive economic zone off its Natuna Islands.

Beijing contends that the waters are part of its “traditional” fishing grounds and that the area is within its “nine-dash line”, a territorial claim in the South China Sea that overlaps with part of Jakarta’s exclusive economic zone and has caused tensions with other Southeast Asian nations.

Indonesia deploys fighter jets, warships to patrol Natuna islands at centre of spat with Beijing

China and Indonesia had three naval skirmishes in the Natuna Islands in 2016.

During a Wednesday visit to the Indonesia Stock Exchange, Chinese ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian said the countries were “two friends who share different views” about the maritime area, according to Tempo magazine.

“China and Indonesia, we are friendly countries and we have wonderful relationships that cover so many areas,” Xiao said, adding that diplomats on both sides were communicating to resolve the dispute.

“But even with good friends, we might have some different views, but we can solve this problem through diplomatic channels. I think the problem will be solved properly.”

Xiao and Luhut Pandjaitan – Indonesia’s coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, who was also visiting the stock exchange – said the dispute would not affect bilateral trade or investment.

“It has nothing to do with investments. Sovereignty is sovereignty,” Pandjaitan said, citing Widodo.

China is a leading investor in Indonesia, in particular for much-needed infrastructure projects. Investments from mainland China and Hong Kong came to US$3.6 billion in the first half of 2019, according to Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board.

Collin Koh, a research fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said Indonesia was dependent on Chinese investment and trade, which could affect its ability to stake its territorial claim in the Natuna Islands in the long term.

“I’m not sure this incident is going to galvanise anything. It’s the same cycle of action and reaction. It’s a knee-jerk reaction from the Indonesian government,” he said.

“This is something that is not anything unexpected. It’s diplomatic speak. The Chinese reaction is always to downplay the issue. If you recall back in 2016, after the series of events, ties were a little rocky but they returned back to normal. Indonesia does it’s best to cater to Chinese issues.

“Putting aside the Uygur issues, things are quiet cordial.”

Regarding the Chinese vessels leaving, he said: “I think the incursions were done to test Jokowi in his second term,” he said referring to Widodo by his popular nickname.”

“But it’s time to leave, pull out, before things get any worse and draw an Indonesian response,” he said. “Indonesia is a large country, and China doesn’t want to alienate it.”

Indonesia mobilises fishermen in South China Sea stand-off with Beijing

Vice Admiral Achmad Taufiqoerrochman, head of Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency, noted that Chinese Coast Guard ships carried weapons within the Natunas’ waters, while their Indonesian counterparts were not armed.

While Indonesia recently unveiled two prototypes of its MALE unmanned aerial vehicle, which is weapons-capable, they will undergo extensive testing throughout 2020, and its air-to-ground missile system has not yet been developed.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said he did not anticipate the dispute escalating in the short-term, but questioned whether Indonesia’s armed forces could enforce control against China, given the size and capabilities of its coastguard.

“The Indonesian military is 90 per cent land-based. The TNI [Indonesian National Military] sends all their money to the Army. So the question is: can they do anything about this?” he said.