Indonesia Says It Drove Away Chinese Coast Guard Ship in Disputed Waters

Indonesia said on Oct. 24 that they turned away a Chinese coast guard ship on the southern edge of the South China Sea, the second interception within a week in the contested water claimed by China and several Asian nations. The first encounter occurred on the morning of Oct. 21, when a Chinese vessel interrupted a seismic data survey operation being conducted by PT Pertamina, a major oil and natural gas producer owned by the Indonesian government, according to an Oct. 22 statement issued by Indonesia’s maritime security agency, known as Bakamla. An Indonesian patrolling ship contacted the Chinese vessel, notifying them they had entered Indonesia’s territorial waters. The Chinese coast guard personnel on board insisted that the water was within Chinese jurisdiction, according to Bakamla. In response, the Indonesian side mobilized a patrol aircraft and a navy ship to shadow and escort the Chinese vessel out of the area....