(Reuters) — China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday (March 21) that a Chinese coastguard vessel did not enter Indonesian waters after Indonesia protested against what it called an infringement of its waters by a Chinese vessel near a disputed area of the South China Sea over the weekend.
The incident involving an Indonesian patrol boat, and a Chinese coastguard vessel and fishing boat in what Indonesia said was its waters, has angered Indonesia.
Indonesia says one of its patrol boats on Saturday (March 19) attempted to detain a Chinese boat fishing illegally in its waters. Eight Chinese crew members were detained but the Chinese coastguard prevented Indonesia from seizing the fishing boat.
On Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry said the fishing boat was operating in “traditional Chinese fishing grounds”, that the Chinese coastguard vessel did not enter Indonesian waters, and again demanded release of the fishermen.
“The location you mentioned, where the incident took place, are traditional Chinese fishing grounds, and the Chinese fishing boat was carrying out normal production activity within this area. On March 19, the Chinese fishing boat was attacked by an Indonesian armed boat, then a Chinese coastguard vessel went there for rescue without entering Indonesian territorial waters. China also quickly requested Indonesia to release the detained Chinese fishermen and ensure their safety,” ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing.
Hua also reiterated that China and Indonesia did not contest the sovereignty of the Natuna islands and the seas around them, that both agree they are part of Indonesia.
“Indonesia did not raise a territorial claim to China in the Spratlys. The sovereignty of the Natunas belongs to Indonesia. China has no objections to this. We uphold to properly solve maritime disputes by bilateral negotiation,” Hua said.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a strategic shipping corridor, also rich in fish and natural gas, where several Southeast Asian countries also have overlapping claims.
While Indonesia and China are not disputing the South China Sea, tensions between them does flare every now and then, usually over Chinese fishing boats.
In March 2013, armed Chinese vessels confronted an Indonesian fisheries patrol boat and demanded the release of Chinese fishermen who had been apprehended in Natuna waters.
Similarly, in 2010, a Chinese maritime enforcement vessel compelled an Indonesian patrol boat to release another illegal Chinese trawler.