April 17, 2026 | 10:47 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - China has requested that the defense agreement between Indonesia and the United States not "harm the interests of any third party," including Beijing.
"China always believes that defense and security cooperation between states should not target any third party or harm the interests of any third party; nor should such cooperation undermine regional peace and stability," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a press conference in Beijing on Friday, as quoted from Antara.
This statement was made against the backdrop of the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) agreement inked by Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Monday, which raised the issue of "overflight clearance."
An overflight clearance is a required authorization granted by a country's civil aviation authority for an aircraft to operate within its airspace without landing.
"The ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia stipulate clearly that Member States shall act in accordance with the principles of collective responsibility in enhancing regional peace, security and prosperity as well as abstention from participation in any policy or activity, including the use of its territory, which threatens the sovereignty or territorial integrity of ASEAN Member States," Guo Jiakun explained.
Guo Jiakun also mentioned that the Indonesian government has stated that it will establish defense cooperation with other countries based on mutual respect, sovereignty, mutual trust, and mutual benefit.
Previously, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the official overflight clearance requested by the US was still under intense review.
Ministry spokesperson Yvonne emphasized that any agreement with other parties, including with the US, must proceed within the framework of Indonesia's full sovereign and applicable laws.
Under the MDCP framework, Indonesia and the US are exploring mutual initiatives, including capacity building, next-generation defense technology, increased operational readiness, professional military education, and strengthening relations between defense personnel of both countries.
The Head of the Defense Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defense's Secretariat General, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, also emphasized that Indonesian airspace authority remains under the government's control.
He also emphasized that the US overflight clearance proposal is still being discussed and not yet finalized
Read: Indonesia Responds to Reports of Territorial Breach by US Military
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