Indonesia mobilises fishermen in stand-off at South China Sea

Indonesia are stepping up their security at the South China Sea territory. - AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia's air force deployed four fighter jets to the South China Sea on Tuesday (Jan 7) in a stand-off between two countries that has soured Jakarta's generally friendly relationship with Beijing, its biggest trading partner and a major investor in South-East Asia's largest country.

Indonesia has already mobilised fishermen to join warships in the South China Sea to help defend against foreign vessels, the government said on Monday, as the biggest stand-off with China for years escalated off South-East Asia's largest country.