US Calls for Restraint After China-Indonesia Naval Drills
By TaiwanPlus
China and Indonesia held joint naval exercises in waters east of Taiwan earlier this week, prompting concern from Taiwanese officials and a call for restraint from the United States. Taiwan condemned the exercises as an attempt by Beijing to assert jurisdiction over the waters. Indonesia said the drills were routine when passing through another country’s maritime area. The United States urged China to stop its military pressure on Taiwan and called on other countries to encourage a peaceful resolution to cross-Strait issues. Washington also called on countries to stop amplifying Beijing’s narratives following the exercises.
China-Indonesia Naval Drill Raises Tensions Near Taiwan
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REPORTER:
The US called on countries to stop amplifying Beijing’s narratives after Chinese-Indonesian joint naval exercises in waters east of Taiwan earlier this week.
Taiwanese officials have condemned the exercises as Beijing's attempt to assert jurisdiction over the waters. Indonesia said the exercises were routine when passing through another country’s maritime area. The US urged China to stop its military pressure on Taiwan and called on other countries to encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.
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Joint Naval Exercises Near Taiwan Cause Concern
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REPORTER:
A Taiwanese military official has said China’s joint naval exercises with Indonesia near Taiwan have geopolitical significance.
Beijing announced the drills only one day earlier, setting off alarm bells in Taipei and Washington.
Wu Tien-jen, who’s in military intelligence, was reacting on Wednesday to the joint drills held earlier this week. Taiwan’s government further accused Beijing of using the exercises to create a false sense of jurisdiction over the waters east of Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, including the waters around it. Indonesia explained that these kinds of operations are routine when transiting another country’s waters but by another country, they meant China. US officials called on countries to stop amplifying Beijing’s destabilizing narratives.
These were a "universal naval tradition conducted when transiting through another country's maritime area," Indonesian navy spokesperson Tunggul told Reuters, without directly mentioning China.
"We call on other countries to encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues instead of amplifying Beijing’s destabilising narratives."
Beijing announced the drills only one day earlier, setting off alarm bells in Taipei and Washington. Indonesia says the routine passing exercises, focused on communication and maneuvering, are tradition whenever passing through another country’s maritime area. Taiwan has condemned the exercises as an attempt for Beijing to assert authority over the waters east of Taiwan. In response, Washington urged China to stop its military pressure on the island and engage in meaningful dialogue over cross-Strait issues.
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