US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discussed bilateral defence ties and regional tensions over China’s claim that it owns most of the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Viet Nam), the US Department of State said in a readout of the conversation on 3 August.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo (R) and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (Source: US Department of State)

According to the readout, the officials highlighted the US-Indonesia strategic partnership and their shared goal of respect for international law in the East Sea.

Pompeo and Marsudi also stressed the importance of increased public health and economic cooperation to rebuild the two countries’ economies as well as keep the region safe.

Earlier, Indonesia expressed concern over escalated tensions in the waters and called on China to adhere to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to settle disputes.

During a virtual meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on 30 July, Marsudi said there is a need for China, as a signatory to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), to abide by the code of conduct while trying to resolve disputes related to the East Sea with Southeast Asian countries.

Source: VNA