In the middle of the past year Indonesia has previously denied the US requesting permission to land the P-8 Poseidon marine reconnaissance aircraft. Reuters reported, citing a high-ranking Indonesian official close to the issue. The request arose slotxo amid the tensions between the United States and China.
Sources told Reuters that US officials repeatedly made high-level approaches to Indonesia's defense and foreign ministry. In the month of October and August Before President Joko Widodo refused
Representative of President Widodo and Secretary of Defense, US State Department spokesman And the US Embassy in Jakarta There was no reaction to requests for comment on this matter. While the US Secretary of Defense and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi Refused to comment
The request comes as the US and China intensify their grip on Southeast Asian influence. And it was a request that surprised the Indonesian government. Because Indonesia has long been a neutral foreign policy. Indonesia has never allowed foreign troops to operate in the country before.
P-8 reconnaissance aircraft The United States plays an important role in keeping an eye on China's military activity in the South China Sea. China has a maritime territorial dispute overlapping with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei in waters rich in natural resources. It is the world's most important commercial shipping route, valued at over US $ 3 trillion each year.
Indonesia does not officially claim ownership of this strategically important waters. But see that they own some area in the South China Sea. On a regular basis, Indonesian officials evicted coastal guards and Chinese fishing vessels from one area. Which China claims historical rights
However, Retno said that with Indonesia it has more and more economic and investment connections with China. They therefore do not want to choose within the conflict and are worried about the growing tension between the two great powers. And military service in the South China Sea
"We don't want to fall into the trap of two rival nations," Retno said in early September. "Indonesia wants to show all parties that We are ready to partner with you. "
Even the US and many ASEAN nations in a strategic relationship In terms of wanting to limit China's territorial ambitions, Dino Patti Jalal, former Indonesian ambassador to America, Said that the very aggressive anti-China policy of the United States. Are causing uneasiness to Indonesia and the whole region.
“We don't want to be deceived into the anti-China campaign. Of course, we are still free. But with stronger economic ties And right now, China is the country with the most impact on Indonesia in the world, ”he said.
The P-8 Poseidon, a modern radar-based espionage aircraft, high-definition camera. And sound sensors It has been mapping the islands, surfaces and submarines of the South China Sea for at least six years. The aircraft is also capable of detecting and attacking ships and submarines from a distance. It also has a communication system that can control the aircraft from a distance.
Military analysts revealed that not too long ago. The US uses military bases in Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia. Operation of P-8 reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.