Indonesia is hosting naval drills with ships from 38 countries, including warships from Russia, the US and China training side by side.
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00:00This is Indonesian soft power in full swing. While the Trump administration pulls back
00:05from multilateralism, Indonesia is embracing it. No fewer than 38 nations were invited
00:12to the so-called Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo, including rival naval forces like
00:19China, Russia and the United States. The focus of the week-long event in Bali? Maritime security
00:26and humanitarian assistance, but also thorny issues like the disputed South China Sea.
00:33Our hope is to ease tensions in the South China Sea by shifting the conversation towards
00:39humanitarian issues. Humanity should come before conflict. We want to raise global awareness
00:46that any future conflict in the South China Sea would have serious consequences for the
00:51global economy.
00:54The Indo-Pacific region has been seeing a growing military build-up in recent times,
00:59and the South China Sea is one of the biggest flashpoints. Several countries have rival
01:04claims in those waters, which are rich in natural resources and fish. But China claims
01:10almost the entire area as its own, which is home to several Indonesian islands. No surprise
01:15then that Indonesia's new government has made higher defence spending and the modernisation
01:20of its military top priorities.
01:24Indonesia's message is loud and clear. The Natuna Islands are its territory, no ifs,
01:29ands or buts. But while Jakarta defends its waters, it is still steering clear of a direct
01:35showdown with China.
01:38Indonesia's soft diplomacy approach focuses on finding common ground at events like this
01:43one, and trying to avoid getting drawn into the power rivalry between China and the United
01:49States. On the South China Sea, however, Indonesia and the US are very much on the
01:54same page.
01:55The South China Sea is not an area that is a vacuum of international law. It is not a
02:02vacuum of regional arrangement. It is not a vacuum of bilateral treaties. It is a place
02:09where it has a very substantive, detailed legal element of it, and we all need to use
02:17all of these legal instruments as a tool.
02:21A tool to balance different interpretations of the law. Experts say Indonesia's approach
02:27of avoiding direct confrontation might just be the right move when dealing with its powerful
02:32neighbour China. But Jakarta should also prepare for a scenario in which the US reduces its
02:39overseas commitments, giving Beijing the room to tighten its grip on the South China Sea.
02:46China would definitely take advantage of such a situation, or maybe it already has a plan
02:51in place. However, China must understand that if it pushes too far, countries in the region
02:57will start to feel uneasy. They will begin asking, what does China want? Why are they
03:03acting this way? And why are they being so aggressive?
03:08Indonesia is trying to convince China that it will need partners, and that's exactly
03:12what this event is about. Working together and sharing experiences. Like releasing baby
03:18turtles into the sea. A small but symbolic gesture that embodies Indonesia's position
03:24that the high seas belong to everyone.