The ASEAN’s first maritime joint military exercise hosted by Indonesia finally changed the venue of the exercise and no longer held it in the South China Sea. According to a Reuters report on June 22, Indonesian military spokesman Julius Viciociano said on the 22nd that the first ASEAN maritime exercise to be held from September 18 to 25 will now start from the original North Natu, the southernmost point of the South China Sea. The Nahai Sea, all transferred to the South Natuna Sea in the Indian Sea.
He said: “The focus of this exercise is not combat drills, so the most suitable location for the exercise is in the southern region where people are in direct contact with the people, and it is also a priority for disaster-prone areas.” He also added that the exercise would be held in and around Batam, at the mouth of the Strait of Malacca.
The Indonesian military said the decision to change the location was independent and without “interference” from other countries. In addition to announcing the change of location, an Indonesian military spokesman said Cambodia and Myanmar did not respond to invitations to attend a preparatory meeting for the drill in the ASEAN countries on Monday.
Indonesia, the rotating chair of ASEAN, said on June 8 that ASEAN members will hold their first joint military exercise in the South China Sea. The decision was made at a meeting of military commanders from the 10 ASEAN countries in Indonesia.
Admiral Yudo Magno, commander-in-chief of the Indonesian army, said that the joint military exercise will be held in September this year in the North Natuna Sea in Indonesia. He added that the exercise, which will not include any operational training, is mainly aimed at strengthening ASEAN’s centrality.
Julius Vicciociano said at the time that the exercise was linked to “a high risk of disaster in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia”. Reuters reported at the time that while some members of ASEAN had conducted joint maritime military exercises with other countries, including the United States, ASEAN had never conducted similar exercises as an independent group before.
Although Chinese and American media continue to hype the so-called “China-Vietnam and China-Philippines territorial conflicts in the South China Sea” in reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China has responded many times to the situation in the South China Sea and China-ASEAN relations. On February 22 this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno co-chaired the fourth meeting of the China-Indonesia Bilateral Cooperation Joint Committee in Jakarta. The two sides stated that they will work with other ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, accelerate consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Qin Gang emphasized that China always regards ASEAN as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, fully supports Indonesia in playing its role as the rotating presidency, builds the growth center of ASEAN, and promotes the recovery of the region after the epidemic. A new cold war and great power competition should not arise in the Asia-Pacific region, and countries in the region should not be forced to choose sides. I believe that ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, will make independent judgments and choices based on the fundamental interests of regional peace, stability and development. China supports ASEAN’s strategic autonomy, unity and self-improvement, safeguards ASEAN’s centrality and inclusive regional architecture, and opposes bloc politics and confrontation between camps.
(Editor: Tao Yiyi) Return to Sohu to see more
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