JAKARTA, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Indonesia with its active and independent foreign policy has no intention of signing a defense treaty with China, its defense minister said Friday.
Antara news agency quoted Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono as saying the defense cooperation agreement he signed with his Chinese counterpart Wednesday in Beijing won't develop into a defense treaty. He said the agreement covers only cooperation in fields such as transfer and exchange of technology, exchange of military students, and the possibility of arms purchases.
China’s Xinhua news agency reported the defense cooperation agreement made Indonesia the first ASEAN member to enter into such a strategic partnership. The details of the agreement weren't provided but Xinhua reported the Chinese defense minister said his country was ready to work with Indonesia to promote comprehensive development of relations between the two armed forces
ASEAN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations also includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Juwono was quoted by Antara as saying: “We only want to improve our defense cooperation with China. We have no intention of signing a defense treaty.”
Juwono said the Beijing agreement was a follow-up to the two countries’ strategic partnership accord signed in April 2005.
