Chinese ship expelled from disputed area in South China Sea: Indonesian Maritime Safety Agency

Jakarta: Indonesian patrol vessels steered a Chinese coast guard ship away from a survey ship in a disputed area of ​​the South China Sea for the second time in four days, Indonesian authorities said Thursday.

Indonesia’s Maritime Safety Agency said the Chinese ship approached the MV Geo Coral twice, disrupting a seismic data study being conducted by state energy company PT Pertamina in a part of the South China Sea claimed by both countries.

China’s “nine-dash line,” which it uses to roughly demarcate its claim to most of the South China Sea, overlaps with a section of Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone that extends from the Natuna Islands. A 2016 international arbitration ruling involving the Philippines invalidated most of China’s broad claims in the sea, but China ignored the ruling and called it a sham.

Chinese ships have regularly entered the area Indonesia calls the North Natuna Sea, fueling tensions between the countries.

Indonesian authorities said the Chinese coast guard ship CCG 5402 was detected on Monday near the MV Geo Coral. An Indonesian patrol vessel contacted the ship, whose crew insisted that the area was under Chinese jurisdiction. According to a statement issued on Tuesday, Indonesian coast guard and navy ships expelled the Chinese ship.

On Thursday morning, the Chinese ship approached the seismic survey site again and did not respond to calls from the Indonesian coast guard, which again chased the ship away, according to the Maritime Safety Agency.

“The Indonesian Maritime Safety Agency will continue to conduct intensive patrols and surveillance in the waters north of Natuna to ensure that seismic survey activities proceed smoothly and maintain Indonesia’s sovereignty and sovereign rights,” the statement said.

Clashes at sea between China and its maritime rivals have become increasingly common in recent years, raising tensions especially with the Philippines and Vietnam. Chinese ships also regularly patrol off the island of Borneo and near James Shoal, east of the Natuna Islands, China’s southernmost territorial claim that Malaysia says it owns.

In the past, China has explained its presence in the waters on the basis of “traditional fishing rights.”

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Source link

Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.

Leave a Comment