China and Indonesia to conduct unprecedented joint naval exercise east of Taiwan
Chinese and Indonesian naval forces will hold their first joint navigation exercise in waters east of Taiwan in mid-August, marking the first time China has conducted such drills with a foreign navy in these strategic waters.
China and Indonesia to conduct unprecedented joint naval exercise east of Taiwan
China's People's Liberation Army Navy and Indonesia's military will conduct a joint navigation exercise in waters east of Taiwan in mid-August, marking an unprecedented development in bilateral defense cooperation and naval operations in the region.
The exercise will involve China's PLA Navy ship Honghe and an Indonesian Navy frigate, focusing on communications drills and at-sea replenishment operations, according to a statement from China's Defense Ministry. The drills aim to improve joint naval operations, deepen practical cooperation and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.
This exercise represents the first time China and a foreign navy have conducted joint drills in waters east of Taiwan, a development that comes as the area has become increasingly contested in recent years, with Chinese, Taiwanese, American and Japanese forces maintaining a daily presence.
Expanding bilateral defense framework
The naval exercise builds on a formal defense framework established earlier this year. In April 2025, China and Indonesia held their first Ministerial Meeting of the Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial '2+2' dialogue mechanism, where both countries emphasized joint exercises, equipment modernization and defense-industrial collaboration.
The defense relationship extends beyond exercises. In 2025, Indonesia's Ministry of Defense highlighted its potential procurement of up to seven Type 053H frigates and three Type 039A attack boats from China, signaling deepening military-technical cooperation between the two nations.
Complex strategic positioning
Indonesia's participation in the exercise reflects a complex strategic position. The country maintains no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, yet the island is home to more than 300,000 Indonesian migrant workers. Additionally, Indonesia itself has maritime tensions with China in the North Natuna Sea, where China's nine-dash line overlaps with Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone, despite Indonesia's non-claimant status in the broader South China Sea dispute.
A March 2024 survey revealed that 73 percent of Indonesians perceive Chinese actions in the South China Sea as a threat, highlighting domestic sensitivities around military cooperation with Beijing.
The exercise also occurs against the backdrop of China's intensified military activities around Taiwan. In 2025, China conducted two large-scale exercises around the island: 'Strait Thunder-2025A' in April and 'Justice Mission 2025' in late December, with the latter involving 135 aircraft sorties and 38 PLA naval crafts.
Multi-alignment approach
Indonesia continues to balance its defense partnerships across major powers. In April 2026, the United States pledged to assist the Indonesian military with capacity building and modernization programs through the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership, demonstrating Jakarta's multi-alignment strategy.
The upcoming exercise follows a recent goodwill visit by PLA Navy Task Group 83 to Surabaya, East Java, from August 2-6, 2026. During that visit, the task group paid courtesy calls on Indonesian military and government leaders, while PLA cadets and personnel visited the Indonesian Naval Academy for sports and cultural activities.
Indonesian citizens, Chinese nationals in Indonesia and Indonesian military representatives were allowed aboard the Qijiguang training ship while it was docked at Tanjung Perak Port. Chinese naval cadets also visited Indonesia's KRI Bima Suci training ship, which has made three visits to China in 2019, 2024 and May 2026.