Indonesia used force in the field in combination with the support of domestic public opinion to chase away Chinese fleets that invaded the EEZ in the South China Sea.

Last month Indonesia and China agreed to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, when the two countries' foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Cooperation Forum in Madrid, Spain. The bilateral relationship became even more positive when Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto visited Beijing in late December, hoping to help China modernize its military.

However, bilateral tensions unexpectedly escalated soon after, when Jakarta accused Beijing of invading the waters north of the Natuna Islands. Chinese coast guard ships escorted many fishing vessels in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Indonesia on Ranai Island, which Beijing calls "traditional fishing grounds".

Indonesia's EEZ off the Natuna Islands overlaps with the "cow's tongue line" that China unilaterally drew, covering most of the South China Sea, despite international law.

At one point, about 50 Chinese fishing vessels under the protection of two large maritime vessels were blatantly exploited here. This is considered a part of China's "gray zone" strategy to take advantage of fishing vessels and militia to reinforce the unjustified sovereignty claim of the South China Sea.

Facing this unexpected move of China, Indonesia initially seemed to be inferior. The Indonesian Maritime Security Authority (Bakamla), a maritime law enforcement body, cannot prevent the number of Chinese fishing vessels from overcrowding, due to force restrictions.

"China's move in the Natuna Islands could be to probe the administration of President Joko Widodo after he was re-elected last year," said Collin Koh, maritime security expert Collin Koh of Nanyang Technological University. , identify.

The bilateral relationship between China and Indonesia has remained stable for many years. Beijing spent many years "catching" Jakarta after the tension in 2016, when the Indonesian warship fired a Chinese fishing boat to invade the EEZ, injuring a fisherman.

Bilateral economic relations have also flourished since then. China is one of Indonesia's main investors, with 2.3 billion USD in the first half of 2019, accounting for 16.2% of total foreign investment.

Infrastructure development is one of the pledges to help Widodo re-election. China's role in this area seems undeniable. Earlier this month, the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Committee (IICB) launched infrastructure projects worth US $ 91.1 billion to Chinese investors under the Belt and Road Initiative.

In fact, in 2019, the Widodo government also expects China to participate in the relocation of the capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan. In July 2019, Widodo proposed President Xi Jinping to establish a "low-interest fund" to facilitate Chinese investment activities in four investment corridors under the Belt and Road Initiative. .

According to Koh, these moves led Beijing to believe that Widodo's new cabinet could be "more friendly" to China on the South China Sea issue than before. Beijing's leaders seem to think that Jakarta will have to consider "more" in the case of 50 Chinese fishing vessels invading the EEZ off Natuna.

However, Indonesia's response seems to be outside of China's expectations. Prior to that EEZ infringement, the Widodo President immediately took strong diplomatic protests.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs twice sent a diplomatic note protesting Beijing's illegal fishing activities on December 30, 2019 and January 2. The ministry confirmed that China violated Indonesia's EEZ, indicating that it was established under international law through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Indonesian diplomatic service called on China to respect the implementation of UNCLOS of which it is a member.

Jakarta also cited the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 declaring that China has no legal basis to claim historical rights to the resources within the "cow's tongue line".

Location of the Natuna Islands of Indonesia. Graphics: Google Map.

Combined with the diplomatic response, Indonesia launched a "counter-restraint" strategy in the field, when senior officials in the government decided at a meeting on Tuesday that the country's functional forces. will avoid direct confrontation or arrest of Chinese fishermen. Bakamla, a civilian agency, will be in charge of pushing Chinese fishing vessels, while Indonesian warships will be present at the rear to assist.

Unlike the incident in 2016, when the Indonesian warship fired a warning to wound Chinese fishermen, the Indonesian authorities learned this experience and prioritized handling the situation off Natuna by diplomatic diplomacy. jar. Jakarta considers dealing with it drastically and appropriately as the key to solving the problem.

On the media front, the ministers of the Indonesian government constantly appeared on television, reassuring public opinion with strong statements to the people that they could deal with China. In order to demonstrate its determination to defend its sovereignty, it announced a plan to send fishermen from West Java to fishing in the waters north of Natuna to protect the exclusive economic zone.

With domestic concerns that Indonesia is becoming too dependent on Chinese investment, Luhut Panjaitan, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment, affirmed that Indonesia would not trade its territorial sovereignty to in exchange for money from China.

President Widodo increased Indonesia's reaction level by a visit to the Natuna Islands and boarded the battleship KRI Usman Harun at Lampa Strait naval base on January 8.

Shortly thereafter, the Indonesian navy sent eight battleships to the Natuna Islands to "patrol and rescue" to increase its presence. The Indonesian Air Force also announced the deployment of F-16 fighters to the Natuna Islands for "routine patrols".

In the face of strong reactions on many fronts of Indonesia, after about 20 days of encroaching on the country's EEZ, almost all Chinese fishing fleets and escort boats quietly withdrew from the area on January 9.

Jefferson Ng, senior research expert at Nanyang Technological University, said that through peaceful diplomacy and dealing with domestic affairs, Indonesia has caused China to falter in the waters off Natuna. Indonesia's national interest in the EEZ is protected, while its economic relationship with Beijing has not been affected, nor has it caused domestic public discontent with China's investment activities.

To avoid similar incidents in the future, Jefferson said that Indonesia will take additional precautions to protect its national interests in the South China Sea.

Indonesia has sought to increase the support of the international community on maritime sovereignty. The country intends to work with Japan to develop a fishing base and receive technical assistance to the Coast Guard, which shows that the two countries have a mutual interest in maintaining the status quo in the region.

According to Jefferson, Indonesia will seek to diversify foreign investment to reduce its dependence on China. Although Indonesian private debt to China tripled between 2014 and 2018 to $ 16.1 billion, this figure is still low compared to long-term investors like Singapore and Japan. Indonesia is also seeking investment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan and the United States.

"People often say 'soft, unyielding'. Combining the support of domestic opinion with their own strength will help Indonesia have a tough yet flexible coping strategy with China," Jefferson said. identify.