GREAT Institute: Indonesian-Chinese Military Exercise Has Dual Meaning

JAKARTA - The dynamics of security in the Indo-Pacific region are once again in the spotlight after Taiwan delivered a condemnation of the Passing Exercise (Passex) joint exercise held by the Indonesian National Army Navy (TNI AL) and the People's Republic of China Navy (PLA Navy).

Director of Geopolitics GREAT Institute, Dr. Teguh Santosa, assessed that this kind of tactical military cooperation and exercise must be read through the lens of modern defense diplomacy and the increasingly competitive global geopolitical roadmap.

Teguh Santosa said that joint military exercises conducted by sovereign countries in peacetime have a fundamental function that is dual. First, joint exercises serve as a means to improve professionalism, interoperability, and operational technical mastery between the militaries of friendly countries.

The second function of the exercise in peacetime is as an instrument of confidence building measures or mutual confidence building measures. Through direct communication at sea and personnel meetings, it is expected that the potential for tactical misunderstandings between countries can be significantly reduced to maintain regional stability.

However, he did not deny that every movement of an alliance or bilateral military exercise involving major powers often triggered psychological friction and geopolitical concerns from third parties. This, according to him, is very natural in the constellation of anarchic international relations.

In particular, Teguh responded to Taiwan's position, which often feels objected to and threatened by the presence and military activities of China in the area around the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. According to him, the objections and concerns of the Taiwanese are something that can be understood.

"As an entity in the midst of massive geopolitical pressure from Beijing, Taiwan certainly monitors every military exercise, including the Passex between the Indonesian Navy and China, with a high level of vigilance. Historical dynamics and sovereignty claims that have long been disputed make this sense of threat a daily reality for authorities in Taipei," said the lecturer of International Relations at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

However, Dr. Teguh Santosa emphasized that the joint military exercise between Indonesia and China was certainly carried out within the framework of independent, transparent bilateral cooperation and was not intended to suppress or infiltrate Taiwan's sovereign territory.

"Indonesia, through its active foreign policy, always maintains a proportional distance with all major world powers. The participation of the Indonesian Navy in joint exercises is purely based on national defense interests, maritime capacity building, and efforts to maintain regional peace," continued Teguh.

The background of the Indonesian-Chinese defense relationship itself continues to develop within the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership. As important countries in Asia, cooperation in the maritime sector is seen as crucial to ensuring international trade routes remain safe and open.

On the other hand, the Indo-Pacific region is currently facing intense competition between the United States and its allies against the rise of the Chinese military and economy. In this whirlpool of competition, Indonesia is required to implement the principle of high-level caution so as not to be trapped in the hegemonic interests of one party.

For Indonesia, military exercises such as Passex with China and other superpowers are not a form of confrontation against any party. This activity is a tangible form of implementation of defense diplomacy that embraces all parties to create a stable region.

"The stability of the regional area depends very much on the transparency of good intentions (good faith) from the countries involved. Open military communication is expected to be able to reduce tensions without having to sacrifice the principle of the sovereignty of other countries," said Teguh.

Therefore, the defensive response or sense of anxiety from parties such as Taiwan must be addressed by countries in the region by continuing to prioritize dialogue and the principle of respect for international law. Transparency of the purpose of joint military exercises is the key to preventing strategic misinterpretation.

At the end of the statement received by the editorial board, Teguh underlined that Indonesia's defense diplomacy under the doctrine of free active was on the right track. Routine exercises such as Passex with China must be seen proportionally as a technical instrument of military and peaceful diplomacy, rather than being dragged into open conflict speculation.

With a mature geopolitical understanding, Indonesia is expected to continue to play its constructive role as a maritime axis of the world, as well as a peaceful balancer in the midst of the dynamics of the global power struggle in the Asia Pacific region.