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Opinion | As Indonesia stands up to China in the Natuna islands, can Japan come to the rescue?
- Indonesia recently forced Chinese fishing vessels from its waters as it held meetings with Japan’s foreign minister to strengthen ties
- But will Indonesia’s closer links with Japan help it face off against China? Especially as Tokyo’s relationship with Beijing improves
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As Indonesia faced off against China in the Natuna Sea earlier this month, it agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation with Japan, in a sign of how it intends to balance its ties with its largest foreign investors.
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On January 11, three Indonesian military vessels expelled more than 50 Chinese ships from its exclusive economic zone in the Natuna Sea off the coast of Borneo, after days of incursions in the fishing-rich waters bordering the South China Sea.
A day earlier, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi further strengthened investment agreements in fisheries, energy and tourism in the Natuna islands, where Indonesia opened a military base in December 2018.
Last year, Japan provided Indonesia with US$22.7 million to develop fishing ports on six islands, and has invested US$7.26 million to build a fish market in Natuna, which will be named Tsukiji after the famous Tokyo market.
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Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia and Japan agreed to bolster coastguard coordination and address China’s illegal claims on the 9 dash line in the South China Sea.
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