US, China Join Indonesia-Led Naval Drills Amid Geopolitical Tensions

An Indonesian navy ship arrives at a naval base in Banyuwangi on April 22, 2021. AFP via Getty Images

The United States and China are participating in a multilateral naval exercise hosted by Indonesia, which commenced on Monday amid strained relations between the two major powers over Taiwan.

The Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo is taking place in the Makassar Strait, Indonesia, and will last until Thursday. The United States and China were among the 36 participating countries, which also included Russia, India, and Japan.

Adm. Yudo Margono, the Indonesian Armed Forces commander, said the naval drill is a “non-war exercise” that aims to strengthen the countries’ cooperation in disaster management and humanitarian responses.

Around 15 foreign vessels arrived at Sulawesi Island on Monday as the Komodo exercise began, the Indonesian Navy said. This came as the United States and China ramped up military diplomacy in the region, staging more frequent war games with allies around Taiwan.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command recently accused the Chinese military of engaging in dangerous naval maneuvers on June 3 during an intercept with the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon in the Taiwan Strait.

According to the command, the USS Chung-Hoon was conducting “a routine south to north Taiwan Strait transit” alongside the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal when the incident happened.

It stated that a Chinese warship overtook the USS Chung-Hoon on its port side and crossed its bow at a distance of 150 yards, forcing the American vessel to reduce its speed to 10 knots to avoid a collision.

“The [Chinese vessel] LY 132’s closest point of approach was 150 yards, and its actions violated the maritime ‘Rules of the Road’ of safe passage in international waters,” it stated.

China’s Defense Ministry said that its naval forces acted “lawfully and professionally” as they had been monitoring the movements of the U.S. destroyer and the Canadian frigate throughout the course.

The ministry criticized the United States and Canada for “stirring up troubles and risks” in the Taiwan Strait, undermining regional stability, and “sending wrong signals to the Taiwan independence forces.”

Taiwan Issue

At the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that China’s military had “continued to conduct an alarming number of risky intercepts of U.S. and allied aircraft flying lawfully in international air.”

Austin made it clear that the United States does not have any intention of seeking conflict, but that “we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 3, 2023. Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

“We’ve all just seen another troubling case of aggressive and unprofessional flying by the PRC [People’s Republic of China]. So we will support our allies and partners as they defend themselves against coercion and bullying,” he said at the summit on June 3.

Austin warned that any armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait could unsettle and disrupt the world.

“I’d like to highlight that conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable,” he said. “Deterrence is strong today—and it’s our job to keep it that way.”

“You know, the whole world has a stake in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait—the whole world. The security of commercial shipping lanes and global supply chains depends on it. And so does freedom of navigation worldwide.”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with the mainland by any means necessary, even though Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP and has its own democratic government.

The United States has no official diplomatic relationship with Taiwan but the country is obligated to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. President Joe Biden has said the United States

An Indonesian navy ship arrives at a naval base in Banyuwangi on April 22, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

will come to Taiwan’s aid if the island is attacked, but its policy on Taiwan remains unchanged.

Ross Muscato and Reuters contributed to this report.