Indo-Pacific — 2026-08-13

China and Indonesia Conduct First Joint Naval Exercise East of Taiwan, Drawing Taipei Condemnation

BLUFBeijing's recruitment of a Southeast Asian partner for exercises east of Taiwan erodes the geographic buffer Taipei depends on for wartime resupply and allied access from the Pacific.

China's Ministry of National Defense announced on August 11 that the Type 054A frigate Honghe would conduct a naval navigation exercise with Indonesian frigate KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai in waters east of Taiwan in mid-August, covering communications drills and underway replenishment 12. The two navies completed the exercise on Wednesday, with a Chinese military statement saying the ships formed a naval formation and executed maritime communications, formation maneuvers and underway replenishment per a pre-arranged plan 3. Beijing did not specify start and end dates, coordinates, or the operating route 2. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council condemned the drill as a "military provocation" and a severe infringement on Taiwan's sovereignty, and said it would monitor the situation and take measures to defend the Taiwan Strait's peace and stability 2. The Taipei Times, citing Bloomberg, reported this marked the first publicly announced China-foreign navy exercise in waters east of Taiwan, following the PLA Navy training ship Qijiguang's early-August port call in Surabaya 2.

Analysis
China's frigate Honghe and Indonesia's KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai completed the first publicly acknowledged foreign-navy exercise east of Taiwan, establishing precedent for outside naval participation in a corridor Taipei relies on for Pacific access and external support in any contingency. Beijing's withheld coordinates and route deny independent verification while asserting jurisdictional normalcy, consistent with June coast guard patrols in the same waters, and the timing converges with a separate AI-driven cyber intrusion reaching 85 government accounts and a nuclear safety agency, pressuring Taiwan's eastern and digital flanks together. Reporting rests on a single Chinese official stream, with Taipei Times and Defence Security Asia adding commentary but no independent sourcing. The drill may reflect routine bilateral logistics training under the China-Indonesia strategic partnership rather than deliberate signaling, but repeat engagements would likely read regionally as Jakarta tacitly aligning with Chinese jurisdictional claims.

4 sources

China, Indonesia to conduct naval navigation exercise in waters east of Taiwan Island - PRC Ministry of National Defense
China, Indonesia plan joint exercise east of Taiwan - Taipei Times
China, Indonesia wrap up naval navigation exercise in waters east of Taiwan Island - China.org.cn
China-Indonesia Naval Drill East of Taiwan Sparks Strategic Alarm - Defence Security Asia