The United States and Indonesia held naval exercises near the Natuna Archipelago in the East China Sea, near target China, and the Government in Jakarta hopes that in this region will be constantly carried out military maneuvers, says a Reuters report.
“This is the second exercise conducted jointly with the U.S. in this area, and we plan to hold similar maneuvers in the next year. Will regular exercises,” said Manahan Simorangkir, a representative of the naval Forces, Indonesian.
The exercises have used military ships and aircraft type P-3 Orion that can detect submarines of the enemy. Including 88 military personnel and a fleet of American aircraft, the drills stretched 300 miles to the northeast to Natuna Islands, an archipelago alarmingly close to Chinese waters in the South China Sea.
A collection of over 150 small, uninhabited islands, Natuna belongs to Indonesia. In the past, Jakarta has accused the Chinese government of including parts of the island group within its territorial claims.
Still, officials insist that the exercises are not meant to be a signal to Beijing. "It is important to remember Indonesia is not involved in any disputes in the South China Sea," Simorangkir said. "We don't want an incident in the South China Sea and are committed to the diplomatic approach we have always taken."