Indonesia rejects Chinese request for military base

[Gary]

By Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2020/09/11 17:28

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto told his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe (魏鳳和), that his country would not accept a request for a Chinese military base in the country, reports said Friday (Sept. 11).

The conversation occurred during a meeting between the two top defense officials in Jakarta on Sept. 8, according to a report by Indonesian publication Kompas. Indonesia occupies a strategic location on the southern edge of the South China Sea and on the main sea route between China and the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

Subianto also excluded the possibility that Indonesia would sign military accords with any other country, a military spokesman said. China would never be allowed to set up a base on Indonesian soil, as the government conducted an active foreign policy based on national freedom, a military spokesman said.

According to a U.S. report about China’s military published Sept. 1, Beijing was looking to expand its reach overseas by opening more bases. Djibouti in the Horn of Africa is one mooted location, but China is considering several other countries, from Sri Lanka and Myanmar, all the way to the Seychelles off the coast of East Africa, CNA reported.

Indonesia rejects Chinese request for military base | Taiwan News | Sep. 11, 2020 17:28

www.taiwannews.com.tw

 

[Gary]

@Nilgiri @Saithan @Joe Shearer @ANMDT

So it appears the motives behind Chinese coast guard Incursion just a day after Wei Fenghe visit last week is the result of this rejection.

 

[Saithan]

@Nilgiri @Saithan @Joe Shearer @ANMDT

So it appears the motives behind Chinese coast guard Incursion just a day after Wei Fenghe visit last week is the result of this rejection.

They'll come again, or they'll step up the pressure game. The only way you can avoid that would be to allow US to have a base.

 

[Nilgiri]

@Nilgiri @Saithan @Joe Shearer @ANMDT

So it appears the motives behind Chinese coast guard Incursion just a day after Wei Fenghe visit last week is the result of this rejection.

If that's the case, that's really stupid of them. This is very amateurish at best.

 

[Joe Shearer]

@Nilgiri @Saithan @Joe Shearer @ANMDT

So it appears the motives behind Chinese coast guard Incursion just a day after Wei Fenghe visit last week is the result of this rejection.

Not really. This has been a point of friction now for some time. You may be right in claiming a link to a specific event, but the context has been there for a long time.

 

[Anmdt]

@Nilgiri @Saithan @Joe Shearer @ANMDT

So it appears the motives behind Chinese coast guard Incursion just a day after Wei Fenghe visit last week is the result of this rejection.

It depends on when the offer was made, if it was in best times of Chinese-Indonesian relationships (morelikely so) then probably no, incidents are not linked, and in the other case it doesn't make any sense to make such an offer during a tension between two. The news tell that the offer was made in 8 Sept, it seems to be a repeatition of the offer has made earlier back in time.
Also incursion is a wrong term and Indonesian media tends to use it such and quite often; there is no incursion in EEZs or anywhere outside of the territorial waters, since those are open for freedom of navigation, unlike innocent passage, freedom of navigation is not bound to the coastal state whatsoever, as long as economical operations (including research) is not conducted.
It is harassment, Chinese CG sails to there and asks Indonesian fisheries to leave claiming its their EEZ - 9 Dash whatever, and then Indonesian CG (guess its Bakamla for EEZs) comes and defends the fisheries to the point Chinese CG gives up and leaves. Neither side has right to push-force other CG /Warships/Commercial ships outside of the EEZ except of declaration of NAVTEX, engagement rules set by a side.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Also incursion is a wrong term and Indonesian media tends to use it such and quite often; there is no incursion in EEZs or anywhere outside of the territorial waters, since those are open for freedom of navigation, unlike innocent passage, freedom of navigation is not bound to the coastal state whatsoever, as long as economical operations (including research) is not conducted.

Yes, you are right, at the broad brush level, but these friction points relate to fishing, so directly connect to EEZ rights. But, as far as the big picture goes, you have a point.

 

[Yoyo]

AFAIK, Indonesia doesn't host any foreign military bases due to national pride and security considerations, which is very smart. So why should they break their principles for the Chinese?

 

[Gary]

AFAIK, Indonesia doesn't host any foreign military bases due to national pride and security considerations, which is very smart. So why should they break their principles for the Chinese?

that's the exact things that kinda smash into my head, after the try to provoke us , then they even still had the slightest hope of having their bases here, even during the peak of Indonesia-US relationship during the cold war Suharto era, this is out of question......THERE WILL BE NO FOREIGN BASE IN INDONESIA.

 

[Yoyo]

that's the exact things that kinda smash into my head, after the try to provoke us , then they even still had the slightest hope of having their bases here, even during the peak of Indonesia-US relationship during the cold war Suharto era, this is out of question......THERE WILL BE NO FOREIGN BASE IN INDONESIA.

Kudos for that. In fact, given Indonesia's strong economy and military, I think it should be Indonesia asking other countries for military bases, not vice versa.