Five navy vessels, assisted by an air patrol, have been deployed in the North Natuna Sea to secure the area, Indonesian Navy western fleet commander Arsyad Abdullah told reporters on Thursday, reports AlJazeera.

“The Navy’s position on the North Natuna Sea is very firm in protecting national interests within the Indonesian jurisdiction in accordance with national law and international law that have been ratified so that there is no tolerance for any violations in the North Natuna Sea,” Arsyad said.

Arsyad said US and Chinese navy ships have been detected nearby recently but said they were not a disturbance, adding that they were still in international waters.

China has been involved in conflict with several neighbours for the past several months.