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Chinese, Indonesian Warships Drill East of Taiwan
Aaron-Matthew LariosaAugust 13, 2026 2:32 PM
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Chinese and Indonesian warships held a joint drill on Wednesday in waters to Taipei’s east amid Beijing’s increased efforts to solidify its presence east of Taiwan.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 054A-class guided-missile frigate Honghe (523) and Indonesian Navy Bung Tomo-class corvette KRI John Lie (358) held a passing exercise, according to a news release from China’s military media. The two warships practiced communication and resupply at-sea drills.
“The exercise aimed to improve interoperability between the two navies, deepen bilateral cooperation and maintain regional peace and stability,” reads the Chinese military statement.
Reuters reported that while the drills were not viewed as militarily important, the presence of Indonesian forces operating in waters claimed by China had “geopolitical significance,” according to a Taiwanese intelligence chief.
Under the foreign policy of President Prabowo Subianto, Jakarta has vastly expanded its defense relations with the U.S. and Japan. In April, Washington pledged to assist the Indonesian military with capacity building and modernization programs through the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership. With Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro and his Indonesian counterpart began talks in June for the potential transfer of ex-Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers.
However, this expansive policy approach has also involved interest in procuring dated Chinese equipment. In 2025, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense highlighted its potential procurement of up to seven Type 053H frigates and three Type 039A attack boats.
Indonesian forces operating alongside China in these waters is the latest development surrounding the increasingly tense waters east of Taiwan. In recent years, the waters and air space around the island have become a daily standoff between Chinese, Taiwanese, American and Japanese forces.
Following the announcement of maritime delimitation talks between Manila and Tokyo, Chinese maritime security agencies and naval forces have begun to stake an enhanced presence over areas east of Taiwan.
Last month, Taipei and Washington revealed the extent of their Coast Guard cooperation with a photo of Coast Guard Administration and U.S. Coast Guard cutters sailing next to each other at an unspecified date.
“Against this backdrop, Jakarta may believe that conducting a visible military engagement with China could help demonstrate that its growing cooperation with Western partners does not represent a broader geopolitical alignment against Beijing,” Fauzan Malufti, a Jakarta-based researcher with CSIS Indonesia’s international relations department, told USNI News following the drills.
Malufti highlighted Indonesia’s approach to balance between the opposing powers of the Indo-Pacific region and said that “for partners such as Japan and the United States, these exercises could raise some concerns about how far Indonesia is willing to deepen its military engagement with China, especially when they take place in sensitive waters near Taiwan.”
