Jakarta: Indonesia could take China before an international court if Beijing's claim to the majority of the South China Sea and part of Indonesian territory is not resolved through dialogue, Indonesia's security chief said on Wednesday.

Beijing's claim to almost the entire South China Sea is shown on Chinese maps with a nine-dash line that stretches deep into the maritime heart of south-east Asia, including parts of the Indonesian-held Natuna islands.

Chinese fishing boats in the South China Sea. Credit:AP

Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the waterway. The Philippines has already taken China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, a case Beijing refuses to recognise.

Indonesia believes China's claim over parts of the Natuna islands has no legal basis.