The Chinese and Indonesian navies will hold a drill together in the sensitive waters to the east of Taiwan this month, China’s defence ministry said on Tuesday (August 11, 2026), where Beijing has been seeking to assert its sovereignty claims. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and in June began coast guard patrols off the island’s east coast, causing anger in Taipei and concern in Washington and some other Western capitals.
China and Indonesia to Conduct Joint Naval Exercise
China’s Defence Ministry announced that a Chinese navy warship will participate in a joint navigation exercise with an Indonesian navy ship in mid-August. The exercise is set to take place in waters located east of Taiwan, although the ministry did not specify the exact location of the operation.
Political Context
Taiwan’s government says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future and has repeatedly denounced Chinese military pressure. Neither Taiwan’s defence ministry nor Indonesia’s navy immediately responded to requests for comment. China recognises no sovereignty claims by Taiwan’s government and its military operates around the island on an almost daily basis.
