Indonesia’s President Visits Island in Waters Disputed by China

Indonesia’s President Visits Island in Waters Disputed by China
Indonesian President Joko Widodo visits a military base in Natuna, near the South China Sea, Indonesia, on Jan. 8, 2020. Laily Rachev/Courtesy of Indonesian Presidential Palace/Handout via Reuters
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JAKARTA—President Joko Widodo visited an island in waters disputed by China on Jan. 8 to assert Indonesia’s sovereignty amid a standoff between Indonesian and Chinese vessels.

The confrontation began in mid-December when a Chinese coast guard vessel and fishing boats, entered waters in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone, off the coast of the northern Natuna islands, prompting Jakarta to summon Beijing’s ambassador.