Indonesia moves location of first ASEAN military drills away from South China Sea

To ensure that ASEAN’s first-ever joint military exercise stays miles away from any kind of Chinese influence, Indonesia on Thursday moved the site of the exercise off the South China Sea.

The non-combat drills for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were originally set to take place in the southernmost waters of the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Beijing.

The drills that are slated to be held from September 18-25 will now be moved away from the strategic waterway altogether to the South Natuna Sea in Indonesian waters, Indonesian military spokesperson Julius Widjojono said.

“This exercise is focused not on combat, so it is best suited for the south that is in direct contact with the people,” he said, adding the drills will be held in and around Batam island at the mouth of the Malacca Strait.

The ASEAN bloc has often found itself in the middle of the rivalry between the US and China.  Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia have competing claims with Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over vast stretches of ocean that include parts of Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone.

Meanwhile, China has made territorial claims over the area via a ‘nine-dash line’ based on its historic maps. This line, however, was rejected in 2016 for carrying “no legal basis.”

The military of Indonesia, which chairs ASEAN this year, said the decision to move the location was an independent one and that there was “no intervention” from other countries.

It also said Cambodia and Myanmar did not respond to an invitation to a preparation meeting for the exercise held on Monday among ASEAN countries. Both Myanmar’s junta leaders and Cambodia have close ties with China.

With inputs from Reuters

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