Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit Indonesia next week to engage in talks with Southeast Asian allies as the United States strives to counter China’s “coercive” actions in the disputed South China Sea. Blinken will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers summit in Indonesia following his visits to the United Kingdom and Lithuania, where he will participate in NATO meetings with President Joe Biden. During his time in Indonesia, Blinken will engage in multilateral discussions with ASEAN allies and partners concerning economic cooperation, the ongoing crisis in Burma, and Russia’s involvement in Ukraine. The objective is to strengthen partnerships with the 10-member bloc and oppose China’s unfavorable actions in the South China Sea. The countries involved concur that all claimants in the region must adhere to international law while pursuing peaceful resolutions. The United States aims to work with ASEAN partners to advance their shared view and vision for the region and counter China’s many irresponsible actions over recent years. It is important to note that the United States does not expect countries to take sides but rather to safeguard their ability to make independent decisions. Beijing maintains territorial claims over the South China Sea under its nine-dash line, which is disputed by neighboring countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, as the ASEAN president for the year, has emphasized that ASEAN rejects any conflicts in the Indo-Pacific and urges all parties to adhere to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Although Indonesia does not consider itself a party to the South China Sea dispute, there are overlapping sovereignty claims from China in areas that fall within Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone. A former U.S. Air Force official described the South China Sea as a “hotbed of gray zone activity,” where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can act without direct scrutiny or public accountability. By publicizing such incidents, a reputational cost can be imposed on China for engaging in such behavior. However, some nations may choose to remain silent and normalize gray zone activities, ultimately undermining their own rights in the exclusive economic zone. In recent months, the CCP has displayed increased assertiveness in the South China Sea, as evidenced by the presence of over 100 Chinese militia vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in April. In February, the Philippine Coast Guard reported an incident where a Chinese coast guard vessel used a “military-grade laser” against its ship, temporarily blinding the crew.