Indonesian Coast Guard "Drives Out" Chinese Vessel Shadowing Seismic Ship
On Monday, Indonesia's coast guard "drove out" a China Coast Guard cutter that was shadowing a survey vessel in Indonesian waters of the South China Sea. On Tuesday, the Chinese vessel was back again in the same spot, according to maritime security expert Ray Powell.
The cutter CCG 5402 was closely shadowing an Indonesian-chartered survey ship, the Norwegian-flagged Geo Coral, which was driving a racetrack course at an oil prospect off the Natuna Islands. In response, Baklama patrol ship KN Tanjung Datu 301 and Indonesian Navy patrol boat KRI Sutedi Senaputra 378 arrived to escort the Geo Coral until the Chinese vessel exited the area Monday night.
Bakamla Usir Kapal Coast Guard China di Laut Natuna
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Pranata Humas Ahli Muda Kapten Bakamla, Yuhanes Antara menyebut Bakamla RI akan terus melakukan patroli dan pemantauan intensif di wilayah perairan Natuna Utara untuk menjaga kedaulatan dan hak berdaulat Indonesia. pic.twitter.com/fXhpQZjiRM
This was far from the first instance: China Coast Guard regularly operates in the Indonesian exclusive economic zone, deploying vessels to loiter near offshore oil and gas concessions. CCG 5402 is just one element of a rotational force and had recently arrived to relieve the Chinese cutter CCG 5302, which had been trailing Geo Coral since the 17th, according to Powell. AIS data shows that CCG 5402 returned to the Indonesian EEZ as soon as the Baklama presence departed.
China claims the overwhelming majority of the South China Sea as its own, including parts of the Indonesian EEZ, a thousand miles away from the Chinese mainland. The jurisdictional conflict between China and the Philippines has a higher public profile, but Indonesia has also had to confront Chinese government vessels operating in its waters.
In a video of the radio exchange between Baklama and the CCG 5402, the Chinese vessel's crew can be heard repeating the message "China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands of the South China Sea and adjacent waters."
Geo Coral is a Norwegian-owned geophysical vessel flagged in Norway. She is operating under charter to PT Pertamina, Indonesia's state-owned oil company, to conduct a 3D seismic survey off the Natuna Islands. "Pertamina East Natuna is focusing on oil and gas exploration activities in the East Natuna Working Area, which has great potential to contribute to national energy security," said a Pertamina spokesman on Tuesday.