China and Indonesia are seeking concrete and pragmatic actions to boost military and coast guard cooperation after recent exchanges between high-level officials, a move seen by an expert as reflecting the two sides' firm consensus on managing maritime differences and promoting regional peace and security.

In a visit to Indonesia from Friday to Saturday, Liu Zhenli, Chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, respectively met with Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief General Agus Subiyanto in Jakarta, said a statement released by China's Ministry of National Defense on Sunday.

Liu told the Indonesian side during the visit that the Chinese military is willing to work with the Indonesian side under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries to create more highlights and achievements in military cooperation for regional peace and stability, according to the statement.

Indonesian officials also expressed their wish to further strengthen practical cooperation in personnel exchanges and joint military exercises on the basis of the positive development momentum of China-Indonesia military relations, said the statement. 

According to Indonesia's national news agency Antara News, the Indonesian Defense Ministry sees the joint military exercise as instrumental in bolstering Indonesia-China diplomatic ties and refining the two nations' defense capacity. Head of the Information Bureau of the Defense Ministry Frega Ferdinand Wenas said that such an activity might offer Indonesia and China the opportunity to exchange insights on battle strategies and defense technology and mutually send soldiers for educational purposes, the report said.  

China and Indonesia have had open and clear communication channels, especially close cooperation between military departments, including the bilateral meetings between defense and military officials and interactions under multilateral frameworks such as the China-ASEAN Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Besides talks between high-level officials, the two countries have had joint drills and exchanges of visits, Chen added. Last December, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's Type 075 amphibious assault ship made its first foreign stop with a technical stop in Indonesia, which experts said fostered international exchange and cooperation.

Besides the Chinese military official's visit to Indonesia, an Indonesian Coast Guard (Bakamla) delegation, led by Vice Admiral TNI Dr. Irvansyah, visited Beijing from Tuesday to Saturday. A high-level meeting was held for the first time between the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Indonesian Coast Guard.

A source close to the matter told the Global Times on Sunday that the meeting was the first formal one of its kind, and is aimed at further deepening China-Indonesia maritime pragmatic cooperation, safeguarding maritime security and handling maritime disputes.

According to the source, the two sides transformed their intentions to cooperate into concrete actions by discussing the main areas and forms of maritime cooperation during the meeting, following an informal one in Vietnam at the end of 2024, where they initially discussed the importance and necessity of future cooperation. 

According to the CCG, the two sides had in-depth exchanges on conducting pragmatic cooperation in all-level regular meetings, mutual ship visits and capability building, reaching a broad and important consensus.

Chen said the establishment of communication channels between the Chinese and Indonesian coast guard departments can help them understand each other's positions and better handle situations in case of maritime disputes.

At the same time, Japan on Saturday agreed to provide high-speed patrol boats to Indonesia to deepen bilateral defense ties during a visit by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Indonesia, seen by some media as confronting China's growing clout and muscle flexing.

Chen pointed out that Indonesia maintains a relatively rational, objective and rational approach to China.

The enhanced cooperation between China and Indonesia is exemplary for the South China Sea amid rising maritime tensions in the region, Chen said.

(Source: Global Times)