Julie Bishop calls Jakarta’s proposal ‘consistent with our policies of exercising our right of freedom of navigation’

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Australia is considering joint naval patrols with Indonesia in the contested South China Sea, the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop confirmed on Tuesday.

Bishop said Indonesia’s request for joint patrols at a bilateral meeting in Bali last week was “consistent with our policies of exercising our right of freedom of navigation”.

“That’s in accordance with international law and our support for peace and stability in the region,” Bishop told ABC radio.

Australia has previously drawn criticism from China for running surveillance flights over disputed islands in the South China Sea and supporting US freedom of navigation exercises there.

China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, last month urged Australia to “speak and act cautiously” on the issue.



Australia and Indonesia already conduct joint patrols in the Timor Sea as part of the countries’ partnership on combating people smuggling and illegal fishing.

Malcolm Turnbull urges caution on South China Sea before Asean summit Read more

Bishop said Australia and Indonesia would notify other countries in the region of any planned exercise.

“This is a regular part of what our navy does,” she said. “This is part of our engagement in the region and this is in accordance with Australia’s right of freedom of navigation including in the South China Sea.”

In July, an arbitration court in The Hague said China’s claims to the waterway were invalid, after a case was brought by the Philippines. Beijing, which has built a number of artificial islands with landing strips in the sea, has refused to recognise the ruling.

The idea for the joint patrols in the hotly contested waters was raised during a meeting between the Australian defence minister, Marise Payne, her Indonesian counterpart, Ryamizard Ryacudu, and Bishop in Bali on Thursday evening.

Indonesia’s defence ministry spokesman, Djundan Eko Bintoro, said on Monday it was no more than a proposal at this stage. “There’s no agreement yet,” he told Australian Associated Press. “[Ryacudu] said he will talk about it with Australia.”

In a joint statement released after the meeting, Australia and Indonesia noted that they were “natural maritime partners” and said they had discussed “practical steps to deepen and broaden bilateral maritime engagement”.

Speaking during her visit to Bali last week, Bishop said concerns about heightening tensions in the South China Sea had spilled into talks between Indian Ocean nations in Indonesia, with countries expressing a need for a rules-based order.



Bishop also reiterated Australia’s support for Indonesia’s push to secure a code of conduct for the hotly contested waters – something that has remained elusive for more than a decade.

“We have urged the Asean [the Association of South-east Asian Nation] countries and China to conclude a code of conduct as soon as possible, otherwise it leaves it open for others to suggest that the parties aren’t serious about a code.”