The President of Indonesia, Pres. Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visited the Natuna islands on board an Indonesia Navy ship as his country wanted to sent a message to the world on the country’s commitment to protecting its sovereignty in the area at the edge of the South China Sea. Pres. Widodo was accompanied by top security officials of Indonesia.
The newest President of Indonesia toured Natuna islands on board the same naval ship that fired warning shots last week at Chinese fishing boats and detained one of the vessels and its seven crew members.
Pres. Widodo presided over a meeting on board the ship, discussing issues including development of the remote islands, about 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) north of Jakarta, the capital. According to Senior political and security minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the visit would “send a clear message” that Indonesia is very serious about protecting its sovereignty.
The visit of the Indonesian President in the Natuna islands is a sign that the President is committed to protect their territory despite the fact that the island is not included in China’s expansive claims to the South China Sea. The island is located nearly 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) from the Chinese mainland.
The controversial “nine dash line,” which it uses to roughly demarcate its ambitions for its maritime boundaries, overlaps with a section of Indonesia’s internationally recognized exclusive economic zone extending from the Natuna islands.
Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago nation, has taken a tough stance against illegal fishing since Jokowi took office in October 2014. It has blown up 176 foreign fishing boats caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters since then.