JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia has modified the place it’s going to host ASEAN’s first-ever joint navy train to a location away from the South China Sea the place a number of international locations together with China have overlapping territorial claims, its navy mentioned on Thursday.
The non-combat drills for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been initially set to happen within the southernmost waters of the South China Sea, that are additionally claimed by Beijing.
But the September 18-25 train will now be moved out of the strategic waterway altogether to the South Natuna Sea in Indonesian waters, mentioned navy spokesperson Julius Widjojono.
“This exercise is focused not on combat, so it is best suited for the south that is in direct contact with the people,” he mentioned, including the drills will likely be held in and round Batam island on the mouth of the Malacca Strait.
ASEAN’s unity has for years been examined by a rivalry between the United States and China that’s being performed out within the South China Sea, a conduit for about $3.5 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia have competing claims with Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over huge stretches of ocean that embrace elements of Indonesia’s unique financial zone.
China claims sovereignty over the realm by way of an expansive ‘nine-dash line’ based mostly on its historic maps, which a global arbitration court docket in 2016 dominated had no authorized foundation.
ASEAN has been pushing to finish a long-awaited maritime code of conduct with China, and a number of other of its members have had run-ins with Beijing in current months.
The navy of Indonesia, which chairs ASEAN this 12 months, mentioned the choice to maneuver the placement was an impartial one and that there was “no intervention” from different international locations.
It additionally mentioned Cambodia and Myanmar didn’t reply to an invite to a preparation assembly for the train held on Monday amongst ASEAN international locations. Both Myanmar’s junta leaders and Cambodia have shut ties with China. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
