China told Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and natural gas in maritime territory that both countries regard as their own during a months-long standoff in the South China Sea earlier this year, four people familiar with the matter have said.
The unprecedented demand, which has not previously been reported, elevated tensions over natural resources between the two countries in a volatile area of global strategic and economic importance.
One letter from Chinese diplomats to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs clearly told Jakarta to halt drilling at a temporary offshore rig because it was taking place in Chinese territory, said Muhammad
The unprecedented demand for oil and natural gas has elevated tensions between the two countries, but both have made attempts to play down the standoff.