A protest has been made by Indonesia against China after a Chinese vessel was said to be infringing in Indonesian waters which China claims as part of their territory.
As reported by Newsweek, Retno Marsudi, Indonesia's foreign minister, said she had already had a meeting with the Chinese embassy representatives. The incident involved a Chinese coastguard vessel, a Chinese fishing vessel and an Indonesian patrol vessel in an area known as the Natuna Sea.
Marsudi added that they have held up a very strong protest regarding the involuntary entry of the Chinese coastguards which overlapped their sovereign rights. The Chinese fishing vessel was attempted to be detained by the Indonesian authorities which were said to be fishing illegally within their waters as per Reuters.
There were eight Chinese fishing crew members that were detained but the Chinese coastguards halted the actions of the Indonesian authorities and prevented them from securing the Chinese vessel. China, on the other hand, believes that the fishing vessel operated in their traditional Chinese fishing ground.
According to Sun Weide, a Chinese embassy official, they are always ready to work with Indonesia when it comes to maritime issues and wants to resolve these issues by way of dialogues and negotiations. According to the Inquirer, Edi Yusuf, foreign ministry official in Jakarta, said that the ministry will try and summon the Chinese envoy once it gains enough details regarding the incident.
The two countries never had a dispute regarding the sovereignty of the Natuna Island and the seas around them since both have already agreed that it is a part of Indonesia's Riau Province. However, tensions spark between them every now and then which are usually brought about by Chinese fishing boats.
The entire South China Sea is being claimed by China as part of their strategic shipping corridor. Several Southeast Asian countries also have overlapping claims with China over these waters which are known to be rich in fishes and natural gases. Indonesia, on the other hand, doesn't want to boost its armed forces in Natuna Island despite the altercation.
