Indonesia, China pledge to boost ties despite South China Sea flare-up in March

Jakarta and Beijing will strengthen defense ties, extending cooperation in areas like anti-terrorism, law enforcement and fight against drug.

China and Indonesia have vowed to improve relations weeks after a maritime dispute escalated into the summoning of Beijing's envoy.

Following a meeting between Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Indonesia's chief security minister Luhut Pandjaitan, the local media reported that the two sides pledged to boost security ties, marine cooperation and infrastructure investment.

In late March, Indonesia had said it would summon Chinese ambassador over a maritime standoff involving Chinese coast guards and Indonesian officials in an area known as the Natuna Sea near the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Though China has disputes with countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei over maritime borders in the South China Sea, Indonesia has traditionally played the role of an intermediary.

However, Jakarta was angered by the breach of its maritime borders less than four kilometers off the country's Natuna islands.

While Jakarta said the area was within Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, China said the incident happened in "a traditional Chinese fishing ground."

After the latest meeting, the two countries are reported to have decided to make the partnership more broad based.

Jakarta and Beijing will strengthen defense ties, extending cooperation in areas like anti-terrorism, law enforcement and fight against drugs apart from marine cooperation, China's official Xinhua news agency said.

Indonesia's security minister Pandjaitan is visiting China this week to take the dialogue further ahead, Coconuts Jakarta said.

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