Joko Widodo vows to defend ‘every inch’ of territory

President Joko Widodo on Tuesday pledged to defend “every inch” of Indonesia’s land and maritime territory, following clashes with Chinese vessels around Indonesian islands in the South China Sea.

In a state of the nation address he also said Indonesia was “actively involved” in seeking a peaceful solution to the broader regional dispute about ownership of islands in the Sea.

Mr Widodo’s underscoring of Indonesia’s sovereignty over the Natunas islands — and the resource-rich waters surrounding them — comes at a time of high maritime tensions between Beijing and Jakarta after repeated clashes there. “We are developing regions like Entikong, Natuna, and Atambua so the world can see that Indonesia is a big country, and every inch of its land and water is truly taken care of,” he said in a televised address which did not refer directly to China. Entikong and Atambua are remote Indonesian territories bordering Malaysia and East Timor, respectively.