Southeast Asian nations move ahead with plan for naval exercises near disputed area of ​​South China Sea

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is moving ahead with plans for joint naval exercises in September, the first by the bloc’s countries on their own, as many are responding more forcefully to growing assertiveness. China. In the area.

The Indonesian military said on Tuesday ASEAN member countries held an initial planning conference for the joint exercises, to be held from September 18 to 25 near a disputed area of ​​the South China Sea, despite skepticism from Cambodia.

China says the vast majority of the South China Sea lies within its “nine-point line,” which it uses to demarcate what it views as its maritime border. That has led to tense clashes with the ASEAN nations of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, and Chinese military and fishing boats growing more aggressive in disputed waters.

Indonesia’s military chief, Admiral Yudo Margono, initially said the exercises would take place in an area of ​​the South China Sea that Indonesia renamed the North Natuna Sea in 2017 to underscore his claim that the area, which includes natural gas fields, is part of its exclusive economic zone. Similarly, the Philippines has named part of what it considers its territorial waters the West Philippine Sea.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, Indonesia, which holds ASEAN’s rotating presidency, said the exercise is now being planned for the southern waters of Natuna, just outside the nine-point line.

ASEAN members Cambodia and Myanmar, which have close ties to China, refused to participate in the planning conference, according to the Indonesian military.

After Indonesia announced the exercises earlier this month following meetings of defense officials in Bali, Cambodia denied anything had been decided and issued a statement that it had been asked to join a military exercise and was setting up a group of I work to investigate.

Cambodia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the revised plan for the exercise.

China has in the past explained its presence in disputed waters on the basis of what it said were its “traditional fishing rights.” Chinese ships also regularly patrol off the island of Borneo and near the James Shoal, east of the Natuna Islands, which is China’s southernmost territorial claim and is also claimed by Malaysia.

In a highly publicized incident, on February 6, a Chinese coast guard ship aimed a military-grade laser at a Philippine patrol boat off a disputed reef, temporarily blinding some crew members and causing Manila to intensify their patrols in the disputed waters.

ASEAN nations have engaged in naval exercises with other countries before, including the United States and China, but the September exercises would be the first involving the bloc alone and are seen by many as a signal to China.

Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations expert at Indonesia’s Padjajaran University, said Indonesia needs to spell out what it plans to avoid misunderstandings about what, if any, message it might be trying to send to Beijing.

“This needs to be explained to the public, otherwise it will give the impression that we are taking steps that will make China unhappy,” he said. “The navy moving through the Natuna Sea will give the impression that we are harassing China’s nine-dash line.”

___ Increase reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writer Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia contributed to this report.