Defense & StrategyAnalysis
China and Indonesia Complete First Foreign Joint Naval Drill East of Taiwan
The passage exercise in waters east of Taiwan marks Beijing's first joint naval training with a foreign military in the area.
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The Brief
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy and the Indonesian Navy completed a joint passage exercise on August 12 in waters east of Taiwan. The drill involved the Chinese naval vessel Honghe and an Indonesian frigate conducting communication exercises, formation maneuvers, underway replenishment, and a farewell ceremony. First announced by China's Ministry of National Defense on August 11, the exercise represents the first time the Chinese military has held joint naval maneuvers with a foreign counterpart in the sea area east of Taiwan.
Why it matters
The naval exercise establishes a new precedent for foreign military participation in Chinese-led naval activities east of Taiwan. By inviting Southeast Asia's largest nation into these waters, Beijing aims to normalize its operational presence, demonstrate practical jurisdiction over its claimed Exclusive Economic Zone, and signal international acceptance of its maritime presence around Taiwan.
China context
Chinese military commentators emphasize that the waters east of Taiwan fall within China's claimed sovereign rights and Exclusive Economic Zone. According to military expert Zhang Junshe in state-affiliated media, holding joint exercises with foreign navies in these waters serves to legitimize Beijing's administrative and military jurisdiction. The exercise follows Chinese Coast Guard patrols initiated in June in response to proposed maritime demarcation talks between Japan and the Philippines.
Editor's View
EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting.
By holding passage drills with Indonesia east of Taiwan, Beijing is leveraging bilateral defense ties to reinforce its territorial claims. Indonesia's participation likely reflects a pragmatic desire for routine military diplomacy rather than an explicit endorsement of China's sovereignty claims. Nevertheless, Beijing will use this precedent to portray its naval presence east of Taiwan as standard international maritime cooperation, complicating regional defense calculations for Taipei, Tokyo, and Washington.
What to watch
- Official statements or clarifications from Indonesia's Ministry of Defense regarding the operational scope and intent of the exercise.
- Responses or altered naval patrol deployments from Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, or the United States around Taiwan's eastern waters.
- Potential future joint exercises or port calls between the PLA Navy and other Southeast Asian navies in disputed or sensitive sea zones.
Key Takeaways
- 1China's PLA Navy vessel Honghe and an Indonesian Navy frigate completed a joint passage exercise east of Taiwan on August 12.
- 2The Ministry of National Defense announced the event on August 11, making it the first joint naval exercise between China and a foreign military in that maritime area.
- 3Drill subjects included tactical communications, formation maneuvering, underway replenishment maneuvers, and a parting ceremony.
- 4Chinese analysts framed the event as demonstrating Beijing's sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Exclusive Economic Zone east of Taiwan.
- 5The exercise follows recent Chinese naval port visits to Surabaya and Coast Guard patrols established in the area in June.
On the morning of August 12, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy corvette Honghe and an Indonesian Navy frigate concluded a joint passage exercise in the sea area east of Taiwan, according to reports from China Military Online and state media.
During the drills, the two vessels formed a joint task group to practice maritime communications, tactical formation maneuvering, replenishment-at-sea positioning, and a formal parting ceremony. Chinese sailors used specialized tactical signals and flag signals to coordinate movements and command transmissions with their Indonesian counterparts, successfully achieving all planned objectives.
China's Ministry of National Defense had announced the upcoming exercise on August 11, noting that the drills were intended to enhance joint operational capabilities, deepen practical cooperation, and maintain regional peace and stability. State media reported that this event marks the first time China has conducted a naval exercise alongside a foreign partner in the waters east of Taiwan.
Military expert Zhang Junshe noted in an interview with Global Times that the location of the exercise holds strategic significance. Zhang stated that hosting foreign naval vessels for joint training in this area reinforces China's stance that it possesses sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Exclusive Economic Zone, continental shelf, and territorial waters east of Taiwan.
The passage exercise builds upon broader defense engagements between Beijing and Jakarta. Earlier in August, a PLA Navy task group comprising the training ship Qi Jiguang and amphibious transport dock Kunlun Shan completed a four-day friendly visit to Surabaya, Indonesia. The two militaries also previously held joint tri-service humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises under the "Peace Eagle" banner.
The deployment also follows increased military and law enforcement activity by Beijing around Taiwan. PLA forces previously conducted the "Justice Mission-2025" joint exercises surrounding the island, while the China Coast Guard initiated regular law enforcement patrols east of Taiwan in June—a move state media explicitly linked to opposing unilateral maritime demarcation talks between Japan and the Philippines.
Sources
- 中国海军红河舰与印尼海军“莱”号护卫舰位台岛以东海域圆满完成通航演练 - 中国军网 — China Military Online · 8/12/2026
- 中国与外军首次在台岛以东联演，维护地区稳定 — iFeng · 8/12/2026