REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANJARMASIN -- A lawmaker from the Commission I of the House of Representative H Syaifullah Tamliha urged the government to take the initiative to renew ASEAN spirit of friendliness in facing China's aggressive expansion of control in South China Sea.

It is important to renew the cohesiveness of ASEAN in facing foreign challenges and invasion, the lawmaker of the Islamic United Development Party (PPP) said here on Tuesday night.

He said China had expanded territorial claim over small islands in South China Sea and built an an island to be used as a military base there.

The Chinese move has triggered conflicts with a number of countries in this region including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The Philippines has lodged a protest with the Permanent Arbitration Court in the Hague, the Netherlands, against China's claim.

The arbitration court accepted the Philippine protest and declared the Chinese claim as groundless.

The court said China's claim of historical rights in South China sea has been annulled with the exclusive economic zones of the countries in the regions based on a United Nation agreement.

Indonesia has called on all involved in the conflicts to obey the arbitration court decision and to attach greater importance to peaceful settlement of the dispute.

China, however, has said it would not acknowledge the decision of the arbitration court.

Syaifullah said aggressive expansion by China in South China Sea could be a serious threat to ASEAN including Indonesia.

Indonesia and China also were already in dispute over control of the sea off Natuna. The sea is within Indonesia's exclusive economic zine but China claimed it as its traditional fishing ground.

Syaifullah said China saw the economic potentials of South China Sea in energy resources its needs to sustain its economy in the future.

Natuna is located in South China sea and is known to have huge oil and gas reserves, although it is not included in the Chinese territorial claim.

Syaifullah , therefore, suggested the building of a military base on Natuna to protect the country against possible foreign invasion.

He also suggested building military base in Papua to protect the country's marine resources and to maintain Indonesia's territorial integrity.

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