Jakarta (ANTARA) - Maritime cooperation with China will not affect Indonesia's sovereign position in the North Natuna Sea, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Budi Gunawan, has emphasized.
"The cooperation will not impact our sovereignty and jurisdiction, especially in the North Natuna Sea, as rumored. Because everything will be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the laws and regulations of each country," he expounded here on Thursday.
According to the minister, the cooperation, which was agreed upon during President Prabowo Subianto's visit to Beijing last week to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, aims to maintain regional stability.
In addition, the cooperation is based on building consensus between the countries with the aim of mutual benefit, he added.
"And the focus of the cooperation agreed last week was more in the economic sector, especially in the field of fisheries conservation," Gunawan explained.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the cooperation was established in the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea—agreed upon by ASEAN countries and China in 2002—as well as efforts to create peace in the disputed waters.
In an official statement released on November 11, 2024, the ministry said that the cooperation is expected to serve as an example of nurturing peace and friendship in the region.
It is expected to cover several aspects of economic collaboration, especially in fisheries and fisheries conservation in the region, in line with the principles of mutual respect and equality.
The cooperation will also be implemented within the framework of the laws and regulations of each country, the ministry stated.
For Indonesia, the cooperation will need to be carried out pursuant to its laws and regulations. These include laws on territory, ratification of international maritime agreements, particularly the UNCLOS 1982, and bilateral agreements on the legal status of maritime areas and maritime delimitation.
They further include regulations on marine spatial planning, as well as conservation and fisheries management, taxes, and any other applicable regulations.
Moreover, all agreements, international obligations, and contracts made by Indonesia with respect to the area will remain unaffected and will continue to apply without change.
"Nothing in the cooperation may be construed in any way as a recognition of the 'nine-dash line' claim," the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
Indonesia maintains its well-known position that the claim lacks an international legal basis and is tantamount to undermining the UNCLOS 1982. Therefore, the cooperation shall, under no circumstances, affect Indonesia's sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction in the North Natuna Sea.
"Indonesia also believes that the cooperation will facilitate the conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea," the ministry said.
Meanwhile, China has long conflicted with some Southeast Asian neighbors over the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety based on a "nine-dash line" on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of several countries.
