Beijing is not claiming Natunas: Alatas

JAKARTA (JP): China has given assurances that it does not have any claim over Indonesia's Natuna Islands in the South China Sea, but said that Jakarta might have to negotiate with Beijing on the demarcation of the surrounding seas, Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday.

Speaking on his return from a three-day visit to Beijing, Alatas said that his Chinese counterpart, Qian Qichen, had stated China's position and assured Indonesia that it had no territorial claims regarding the Natuna Islands.

"He also said it was clear that the Natuna Islands belong to Indonesia and that China has never laid claim to them," Alatas told reporters at Soekarno-Hatta airport.

Jakarta last year sent a diplomatic note asking Beijing to explain an official Chinese map in which the Natuna Islands fell within some dotted lines, leaving the impression that they were regarded to be Chinese territory.

A major project is currently underway in the Natuna Sea to begin extracting gas reserves, said to be one of the world's largest. The project is being undertaken by American giant Exxon and the Indonesian state oil company Pertamina.

Alatas said the demarcation of parts of the sea boundaries around the Natunas had yet to be determined. The eastern part had already been defined with Malaysia, he said, while Indonesia was still negotiating with Vietnam regarding the northern boundary.

Because of overlapping claims to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea between China and five other countries, a section of the sea boundaries north of the Natunas could not be defined until the dispute has been resolved, he said.

"China does say they (the Spratlys) are their's but Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei are also claiming them," he said.

The Spratlys are claimed, in part or in whole, by China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.

"It hasn't been decided who really owns the Spratly islands group," Alatas stated.

Indonesia itself is not a party to the Spratlys dispute.

Alatas said he had discussed the Spratlys conflict with Qian.

The Chinese minister, he said, had stated Beijing's intent to settle the overlapping claims in the South China Sea through peaceful means based on international law. "The Chinese government is willing to settle the overlapping claims with other countries through peaceful means without the use of force," Alatas said.

Alatas hailed Beijing's recognition of the UN Convention of the Seas that would form the basis of any eventual negotiations to settle the sea boundary with Indonesia.

"I think this explanation is very satisfying because if China does base itself on international sea laws, especially the 1982 Convention of the Seas, then we are on the same footing," he said.

The 1982 convention acknowledges Indonesia's right as an archipelagic state, which means that it has sovereignty over the waters that lie between all the islands.

Alatas' three-day visit to Beijing marks the first trip of a bilateral nature made by an Indonesian foreign minister since Indonesia and China resumed diplomatic relations in 1990.

Apart from Qian, Alatas during his stay also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Li Peng.

Overall, he expressed satisfaction regarding his brief visit and described his meeting with Qian as a "productive exchange of views." (mds)