Asian defense | Security | Southeast Asia
The ASEAN Solidarity Exercise, which runs until September 23, is the first joint military exercise the Southeast Asian bloc has conducted on its own.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) today began a five-day joint military exercise in Indonesian waters, amid rising tensions in the nearby South China Sea.
The ASEAN Solidarity Exercise, which runs until September 23, will involve the 10 ASEAN member states plus Timor-Leste, which recently applied to join the Southeast Asian bloc. The drills will focus on maritime security, disaster response and rescue operations rather than combat exercises.
In announcing the exercise In June, Indonesian military chief Yudo Margono said it was “about the centrality of ASEAN.”
While ASEAN has held joint military exercises with the United States and other partners, this week’s exercise is the first involving current and prospective members of the bloc.
Lieutenant Colonel Abidin Tobba, media coordinator of the ASEAN Solidarity Exercise, he told BenarNoticias that the exercises will take place around the island of Batam, which is located next to Singapore at the eastern approach to the Strait of Malacca. “Eleven countries and hundreds of personnel will participate in the exercise,” Abidin said.
The exercises were initially scheduled to take place in the North Natuna Sea, the name Jakarta gives to the parts of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surrounding the Natuna Islands, parts of which fall within the broad maritime claim. of “nine dashed lines” of China over most of the territory. the South China Sea.
While Jakarta says it is not a formal claimant in the maritime and territorial disputes that have roiled the important waterway in recent years, it has periodically protested incursions by Chinese fishing vessels and coast guards into its EEZ. In fact, the situation led Jakarta to rename the area the “North Natuna Sea” in 2017. As such, holding joint ASEAN exercises in waters claimed by the Chinese government would have sent a signal of unity. regional against Beijing’s claims.
Perhaps for this reason Indonesia Announced in June that the maneuvers were moving to undisputed waters near Batam. An Indonesian military spokesman said the new location was more suitable for carrying out disaster relief operations. “This exercise is not focused on combat, so it is more suitable for the south, which is in direct contact with the people,” the spokesperson said. quoted saying.
However, some reports suggested the change came about because of disagreements within ASEAN over whether to hold the drills in areas involved in maritime disputes with China. In particular, some stated that Cambodia had opposed holding the exercises in disputed waters for fear it would damage relations between ASEAN and China. In the past, the government of Cambodia, perhaps China’s closest partner in Southeast Asia, has been accused of hindering the establishment of a unified ASEAN position on the South China Sea disputes.
However, the fact that ASEAN has managed to organize a joint maritime exercise of any kind, even if it comes more than a decade after Beijing began asserting its extensive claims over the South China Sea, is a welcome development. on an issue that has divided the bloc for years. It also offers something to build on for years to come.