REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SHANGHAI - Indonesia enhances the cooperation on joint exercise with China as an effort to expand military and defense cooperation between both countries. The cooperation not only on officer exchange form but also on joint military excercise.
"Indonesia and China have conducted joint exercise between Indonesian Army and Chinese Special Forces," Vice Minister of Defense, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, said after meeting with Chinese Maritime Commander, Captain Li Yu Jie, in Shanghai, on Saturday.
Indonesia and China plan to hold joint exercise between navy, army, and air forces. Naval exercise will begin soon in 2013. Sjamsoeddin said both countries had fully prepared for the exercise.
Captain Li Yu Jie said maritime relationship between Indonesia and China had a long history, started with the arrival of Admiral Cheng Ho in Indonesia in between 1405 to 1433.
Chinese and Indonesia Navy have also prepared biennial meeting named 'navy to navy talk' to discuss on maritime security issues. The term of reference for navy cooperation meeting will be signed in February.