REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia will not hold a joint exercise with any other country in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, National Defense Forces (TNI) chief, General Gatot Nurmantyo, stressed. "All exercises will be held as per the decided program. When it comes to the South China Sea, the TNI will not hold a joint exercise with any other country there," he said here on Monday.

Indonesia will not take part in the military exercise in the South China Sea since the country encourages peace and stability in the disputed waters, he added. "Indonesia calls on all parties to refrain from carrying out activities which may add to the instability in the South China Sea," he counseled.

Therefore, he added, the TNI will not hold a joint exercise with any other country in the South China Sea which is disputed in whole or in part by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam. The TNI chief made it clear that Indonesia will hold joint military exercise programs with a number of countries. "Some of these are held every two years, while joint exercises with the United States, India and some ASEAN member states are held every year," he informed.

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