Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday that his country aimed to work more closely with Indonesia on maritime security, but there was no plan for the neighbors to hold joint patrols in the South China Sea.

In an interview with the Australian newspaper last month, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he would like to see joint patrols and intended to raise the idea with Turnbull, but only if it did not further inflame tensions with China.

"We are not going to undertake any actions which would increase tensions in the South China Sea," said Turnbull, when asked by a reporter whether Indonesia had raised the prospect of conducting joint patrols.