The controversy surrounding blanket overflight clearance serves as a\nreminder that in modern geopolitics, seemingly empty spaces often become\nthe most contested domains.<\/p>\n
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has officially denied\nthe existence of a blanket overflight clearance agreement for the United\nStates, and this denial constitutes a crucial diplomatic step.<\/p>\n
However, the denial has not immediately quelled regional anxieties\nand speculation. The issue of blanket overflight clearance, which is\nintrinsically linked to air sovereignty, resonates far beyond the bounds\nof bureaucratic technicalities.<\/p>\n
For some countries in the region, this issue is not merely about the\nveracity of an agreement, but rather how perceptions of Indonesia\u2019s\nstrategic policy direction are being interpreted.<\/p>\n
Through a press conference held on Friday (17\/4), China, via its\nForeign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, responded to the blanket\noverflight clearance issue and connected it to the ASEAN Charter and the\nTreaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).<\/p>\n
Jiakun emphasised that the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and\nCooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) stipulate that member states must\nact in accordance with the principle of collective responsibility in\nenhancing regional peace, security, and prosperity, and to refrain from\nany participation, including the use of territory, that threatens the\nsovereignty or territorial integrity of ASEAN members.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s response is undoubtedly tied to the escalating rivalry\nbetween the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific region. In this\ncontext, any potential military access, including air transit\npermissions, becomes part of a broader strategic calculus.<\/p>\n
Countries in the region, including China, may tend to interpret\nIndonesia\u2019s actions not only from its official statements but also from\nthe consistency of practices on the ground.<\/p>\n
This can be understood. After all, in an increasingly fluid\ngeopolitical landscape, even the absence of policy can be interpreted as\na signal. Especially when it concerns airspace, a domain inherently\nrelated to sovereignty, security, and power projection.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has long positioned itself as an active non-aligned\ncountry, seeking to maintain balance amid the pulls of two major\npowers.<\/p>\n
However, in reality, this position is becoming increasingly difficult\nto sustain simply when regional dynamics demand clearer and more firm\nstances. In some cases, a non-aligned posture is still perceived as a\nform of covert alignment by certain parties.<\/p>\n
The blanket overflight clearance issue also opens up discussion on\nthe boundaries between legitimate military cooperation and the potential\nerosion of sovereignty.<\/p>\n
In international law, the principle of state sovereignty over\nairspace \u2013 as affirmed in the 1944 Chicago Convention \u2013 is\nfundamental.<\/p>\n
However, since regulations for military aircraft do not fully fall\nunder the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), practices on\nthe ground often depend on bilateral agreements and diplomatic\npermissions, which in certain conditions allow for varying\ninterpretations among countries.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/langit-nusantara-and-the-strategic-gamble-in-the-indo-pacific-1777013705", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }