Gov’t Stated that Indonesia-China Naval Exercise as Maritime Diplomacy

Jakarta: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Indonesia said the passing exercise between KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai-332 and the navy of China was a part of Indonesia’s maritime diplomacy and not a combat training.

The Spokesperson I of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yvonne Mewengkang explained that passing exercise is a common practice among the navies of various countries when ships pass through an area.

“It is a limited joint exercise or passing exercise with navy of several countries that are passed through. Passing exercise is not a combat training. For Indonesia, an interaction like this is a part of maritime diplomacy,” said Yvonne in a press briefing in Jakarta, Thursday, August 13, 2026.

According to Yvonne, interaction between navies is not about operational activity on the sea, but also as a platform for developing communication, cooperation, and trust among countries.

“A sea is not only a space to connect countries, but also a space to build a cooperation and trust,” she said.

Yvonne said that the practice was in line with Indonesia’s independent and active foreign policy. In accordance with her, Indonesia is opened to build a constructive cooperation with various partner countries through defense interaction and cooperation.

She gave examples of Indonesia’s joint-exercises with several countries, including Russia, China, USA, and Japan.

“Indonesia exercises with Russia, China, USA, Japan, and etc. We are, Indonesia have a relationship of defense cooperation with some countries as what we are talking now, through various exercises,” explained her.

Not a Balancing of China and Other Countries

Yvonne stressed that Indonesia does not consider passing exercise as an effort to balance the power of a country with other country. She cited that event was aimed to open a communication among navies as well as build trust and increase cooperation.

“We do not see whose balancing it is (and) whom it is with, but we see how we open our communication each other and build our trust and improve the cooperation,” explained Yvonne.

Yvonne admitted that the location of the event made the issue becomes sensitive. But she emphasized that the existence of KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai-332 in that area was a part of the routes to come back to Indonesia from abroad.

“The location made the issue becomes sensitive like this. But we should emphasize that once again that the presence of KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai was a part of the sailing routes to come back to Indonesia,” she stressed.

According to her, interaction with navies of passed through countries is a part of limited activities during the sailing and is not meant to change the position of Indonesia’s foreign policy.

Passing Exercise Of China-Indonesia

The statement was declared after a maritime exercise, involving KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai 332 and the navy of China on Taiwan's eastern waters got a highlight from Taipei.

Taipei considered the activity could be used by Beijing to create an impression that China has a jurisdiction of Taiwan’s eastern waters.

On the other side, Head of the Indonesian Navy Information Service (Kadispenal), First Admiral of Indonesian National Armed-Forces (TNI) Tunggul, M.Han, explained that KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai will hold a passing exercise with countries whose territorial waters are passed through during the sea voyage from Vladivostok, Russia to Indonesia.

“During the sea voyage of KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai 332 from Vladivostok, Russia until coming back to Indonesia, will carry out a passing exercise with the passed though countries,” stated Tunggul in the written statement on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

According to the Indonesian navy (TNI AL), passing exercise is not war fighting. That activity is a common event that is realized by the navies of various countries when the warship passes through other country’s territorial waters.

(Khairunissa Auliya)