At the heart of increasing tension and strategic turbulence in the South China Sea (SCS) region is the sovereignty disputes over “rocks and islands.” In such an atmosphere of mutual mistrust, Indonesia, a regional power, revels in its role as a “mediator,” “go-between,” and a stabilizing force. Having chosen to play the role of an “honest broker” in the South China Sea disputes, as a leading member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it has officially denied having any territorial dispute with China.

To prove its credentials it has been closely monitoring the regional situation by supporting the formation of a legally binding Code of Conduct (CoC) with a series of successful sponsored workshops on the issue. However, this posturing may alter significantly if it joins the list of claimants in the SCS, placing it at direct odds with the Chinese and its infamous claim of the “nine-dash line” covering a sovereign area of nearly 80% of the entire SCS. This line was originally drafted in 1914 and harnessed by the Chinese Nationalist government in 1947; the Republic of China (Taiwan) still uses it, but as a perimeter to its own claims.

Read more: http://www.eurasiareview.com/09102014-south-china-sea-dispute-lead-china-indonesia-conflict-analysis/