UPDATE 1-Indonesia protests to China over border intrusion near South China Sea

(Adds Chinese Foreign Ministry comment, paragraphs 6-9)
JAKARTA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Indonesia said on Monday it had
protested to Beijing over the presence of a Chinese coastguard
vessel in its territorial waters near the disputed South China
Sea, saying it marked a "violation of sovereignty".
The boat trespassed into Indonesia's exclusive economic zone
off the coast of the northern islands of Natuna, Indonesia's
foreign ministry said in a statement. It did not say when the
incident occurred.
"The foreign affairs ministry has summoned the Chinese
ambassador in Jakarta and conveyed a strong protest regarding
this incident. A diplomatic note of protest has also been sent,"
it said.
The ambassador will report back to Beijing, but both sides
have decided to maintain good bilateral relations, it said.
Local fishermen saw a Chinese coastguard vessel escorting
fishing boats several times in recent days and then reported
what they had seen to the Maritime Security Agency, media
reports said.
Speaking in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Geng Shuang said China had sovereignty over the
Spratly Islands and their waters and that both China and
Indonesia have "normal" fishing activities there.
China's coastguard also carries out regular patrols there,
he told a daily news briefing, without directly mentioning the
Natuna Islands.
China's ambassador to Indonesia has already explained these
points to the Indonesian government, Geng added.
Indonesia has no claims over the Spratly Islands, which lie
to the northeast of the Natuna Islands.
Indonesia's foreign ministry reiterated its stance that the
country is a non-claimant state in the South China Sea and that
it has no overlapping jurisdiction with China.
However, Jakarta has clashed with Beijing before over
fishing rights around the Natuna Islands and has also expanded
its military presence in the area.
China claims most of the South China Sea, an important trade
route which is believed to contain large quantities of oil and
natural gas.
Beijing has been building artificial islands in the area,
developments that have irked members of the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines - all members
of ASEAN - and also Taiwan also have claims in the sea.