JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said he would “always safeguard our sovereignty” when asked about the issue of South China Sea, adding partnerships are better than conflicts and that “we respect all powers.”
His comments came after his foreign ministry stressed that Indonesia does not recognise China’s claims over the South China Sea, a source of tension among Southeast Asian countries, despite signing a deal with Beijing last weekend.
Prabowo made the comments to media in Washington, where he is on an official trip.
(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by John Mair)
