Indonesian military says Chinese vessels left disputed waters

JAKARTA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Indonesia's military said on
Thursday that Chinese coast guard vessels and fishing boats had
left disputed waters in the western reaches of the South China
Sea following a visit by President Joko Widodo to assert his
nation's sovereignty. During recent weeks, Jakarta summoned China's ambassador
after the coast guard and fishing boats entered waters around
the northern Natuna islands, where Indonesia has established an
exclusive economic zone.
Indonesia stepped up air and sea patrols in the area, and on
Wednesday Widodo visited one of the islands to drive home the
message that it was Indonesian territory, at which point, his
military said, the Chinese vessels quit the area. "From the observation of our planes, they're no longer
there," military spokesman Major General Sisriadi told Reuters
on Thursday. "They left as soon as the president arrived on the
Natuna."
Nursyawal Embun, director of sea operations at the Maritime
Security Agency, said, however, that one ship -- HAIJING35111 --
was still in the "Indonesian continental shelf waters."
China has not claimed the Natuna islands themselves, but
says it has nearby fishing rights within a self-proclaimed
Nine-Dash Line that includes most of the energy rich South China
Sea - a claim disputed by some Southeast Asian countries and
isn't recognized internationally.
In 2017, Indonesia renamed the northern section of its
exclusive economic zone as the North Natuna Sea, as part of a
push back against China's maritime territorial ambitions.
On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang
said Beijing and Jakarta are in contact through diplomatic
channels to "deal with differences and uphold peace and
stability in bilateral relations and the region".
Sisriadi said Indonesia's navy would continue operations in
the area.