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Indonesia reviews US proposal for airspace overflight access

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia is reviewing a U.S. proposal on overflight access to its airspace, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

The proposal surfaced in local media after Indonesia and the U.S established the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership, which was announced by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday at the Pentagon.

“It is still under internal consideration by the government and the regulatory mechanism continues to be examined carefully. And of course taking into account … Indonesia’s national interests, airspace sovereignty and our independent and active foreign policy,” Yvonne Mewengkang, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters.

The Indonesian Defense Ministry this week confirmed the U.S. had asked for overflight clearance and that it was still under discussion.

“During the deliberation process, Indonesia made several important adjustments and emphasized that the document is non-binding and does not automatically take effect, and that it still requires further discussion through applicable technical mechanisms and national procedures,” the ministry said in a statement.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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