Defense cooperation should not target or harm the interests of third parties, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.
Guo made the statement in response to a question about Indonesia considering a proposal that would grant U.S. military aircraft access to Indonesian airspace.
"The ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia explicitly stipulate that member states share the responsibility to strengthen regional peace, security, and prosperity, and are bound to abstain from policies or activities—including territory usage—that threaten the independence, security, or stability of other ASEAN members. Indonesia has also stated that it will carry out defense cooperation with other countries on the basis of respecting sovereignty, mutual trust, and mutual benefit. We have always maintained that defense and security cooperation between countries should not target or harm the interests of third parties, nor should it affect regional peace and stability," said Guo.
Spokesman on defense cooperation
