According to a source, Indonesia has rejected US requests for Poseidon P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft to land and refuel there. Earlier, US officials had made several 'high level' approaches in July and August to Indonesia's defense and foreign ministers before Indonesian president Joko Widodo rejected the request.
However, the Indonesian president and defense minister, the US Foreign Ministry, and the US embassy in Jakarta did not want to submit any feedback on the issue as well as the US Defense Department representative and Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi acted to remain silent.
In addition, the demand arose when the US and China seemed to be fighting to expand their influence in Southeast Asia, thus shocking the Indonesian government because the country practiced neutrality policy and banned foreign troops from operating there.
To everyone's knowledge, the P-8 plays an important role in overseeing China's military activities in the South China Sea, most of which Beijing considers sovereign territory.
However, Indonesia is not a formal student of these waters strategically but considers part of the South China Sea to be its own. As such, they have prevented the presence of Chinese coast guard ships and fishing vessels from the area Beijing says it has historical claims to.
But the country also has good economic and investment ties with China. Therefore, they do not want to side with any country and be involved in their competition.
