Indonesia says it has no overlapping South China Sea claims with China, despite deal
By Stanley WidiantoNovember 11, 20244:18 PM GMT+8Updated 15 hours ago
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China November 9, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
- Summary
- Indonesia insists it has no overlapping claims with China
- Indonesia says agreement about peace, friendship
- Joint statement says 'important common understanding' reached
- China's neighbours wary of legitimising its vast claims
Beijing has long clashed with Southeast Asian neighbours over the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety, based on a "nine-dash line", opens new tab on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of several countries.
Joint agreements with China in the strategic waterway have been sensitive for years, with some nations wary of deals they fear could be interpreted as legitimising Beijing's vast claims.
In 2016, an arbitral tribunal said the Chinese claim, based on its old maps, has no basis in international law, a decision China refuses to recognise.
A joint statement issued at the weekend during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's visit to Beijing mentioned the two countries had "reached important common understanding on joint development in areas of overlapping claims".
