After being bullied by China in Natuna, the US Comes to Jakarta, Says it is Ready to Send US Navy War Fleet to Indonesia
Some time ago China sent a letter of protest to Indonesia.
The content of China's protest letter to Indonesia is quite intriguing.
China asked Indonesia to stop drilling for oil in Natuna.
It's strange, Indonesia's Natuna is what this country wants to do with natural resources there, especially for the benefit of the entire Indonesian nation. Muhammad Farhan, a member of the Indonesian parliament on the national security committee who knows the exact contents of the letter stated firmly that Natuna belongs to Indonesia until the end of the world.
"Our answer is very firm, that we will not stop drilling because it is our sovereign right," Farhan said as quoted by Reuters, Wednesday 11 November 2021.
The threatening letter was indeed addressed to the Indonesian government.
"(The letter) is a bit threatening because it is the first attempt by Chinese diplomats to push their nine-dash line agenda towards our rights under the Law of the Sea," Farhan said. Indonesia has not yet officially responded to the letter.
Indonesia is still silent about the letter.
As if he knew that Indonesia was being bullied by China, the United States (US) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antony Blinken, on December 13, 2021, then visited Jakarta.
In Jakarta, Blinken held a meeting with President Jokowi, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar.
Quoted from straitstimes.com in his article entitled 'US, Indonesia signs MOU on joint naval exercises and combating illegal fishing' which was published on December 14, 2021, the US agreed to send the US Navy fleet to Indonesia to hold war exercises with the Indonesian Navy. This was welcomed by Foreign Minister Retno.
"To strengthen security cooperation, we agreed to establish a two-plus-two dialogue mechanism between senior officials from the respective ministries of foreign affairs and defense," added Retno.
Meanwhile, Blinken said that his visit to Indonesia was ordered by US president Joe Biden.
"President (Joe) Biden asked me to come here to advance our cooperation on a number of critical issues including stopping the Covid-19 pandemic," Blinken said. The US and Indonesia have a strong vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The US arrival in Indonesia will definitely get China's attention. * As is well known with China, they ask Indonesia to stop oil drilling in the Natuna Sea: 'Indonesia does not need to be afraid' because it operates in an area of sovereign rights. this is southern China.
In the protest letter, it was stated that China asked Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and gas in Natuna because Beijing claimed that the exploration was carried out in Chinese territory.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said he did not "have information on what was reported as a diplomatic communication".
Faizasyah also said, "diplomatic communications are generally closed (confidential) between countries, so they cannot be disclosed to the public before the confidentiality period expires or expires."
However, responding to the report, a member of the House of Representatives Commission 1 from the Nasdem Party, Muhammad Farhan, said Indonesia would not stop drilling and suggested that Indonesia increase drilling and fishery exploration in Natuna.
Farhan also said that his party was aware of a diplomatic note from China when there was a report from the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) regarding the crew's "feel of threat" at the oil and gas drilling site off the Natuna coast. in Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) "has touched the Indonesian contingent shelf", according to Farhan.
Commission 1 of the DPR which is in charge of defense and foreign affairs, said Farhan, questioned the government's attitude.
"In the investigation, it was revealed that China had sent a letter of protest. There were two diplomatic protest letters, namely the joint exercise with Garuda Shield and a protest against the existence of the drilling," said Muhammad Farhan to Quin Pasaribu who reported for BBC News Indonesia, Thursday (2/12).
Farhan admitted that he did not know the exact date on which the two letters were sent because diplomatic notes could only be opened and viewed by those with diplomatic authority.
