Beijing –
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) denied the claims of the United States (US) which said Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto agreed that China had violated the International Law of the Sea in the South China Sea. According to China, the US statement about Prabowo was diplomacy with the character of incitement.
This was conveyed by the Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Wenbin, in response to journalists’ questions from Global Times, conveyed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in a written statement on its official website, dated 28 August 2023, accessed by detik.com on Tuesday (29/8/2023).
“We note that no content can be found in the press release by the Indonesian foreign minister regarding the meeting,” said Wang Wenbin.
Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo did visit US Defense Minister Lloyd J Austin III in the US on August 24, 2023. The US Department of Defense then released a press release stating that Prabowo shared the US’s opinion in terms of viewing China’s claims to the South China Sea (LCS).
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Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto met with United States Defense Minister Lloyd J. Austin III (special doc)
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detikcom checked the press statement from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia dated August 24, 2023 regarding Prabowo’s meeting with Austin. Indeed, the issue of the South China Sea was not touched on at all. The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, has also asked for information from the Chinese representative in Indonesia.
“The Chinese Embassy in Indonesia has communicated with the Indonesian side who said that the US statement was not true,” said Wang Wenbin.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, said the US claims regarding Prabowo were an example of diplomacy with an inflammatory character. According to China, countries in Asia have agreed to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
“I think it is also another example of coercive diplomacy or fake diplomacy or incitement diplomacy that the US is carrying out,” Wang Wenbin said.
The US must respect the efforts of Asian countries to maintain regional peace. He urged the US to stop provoking countries in the South China Sea.
“Stop meddling in the South China Sea issue, stop sowing discord and causing trouble, and refrain from disturbing the security and stability of the region,” said Wang Wenbin.
Previously, US Defense Minister Lloyd J Austin III had met Prabowo. The US Department of Defense said Prabowo agreed that China’s claims over the South China Sea violated the International Law of the Sea. This was conveyed by the US Department of Defense through a written press statement on its official website dated August 24, 2023.
“They (Indonesia) share the same view that the PRC’s expansive claims over the South China Sea are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” wrote the US Department of Defense in a press release entitled ‘Joint US Department of Defense and Indonesian Defense Minister Joint Press Statement’.
(dnu/tor)
