Opinion | ASEAN's only way is up, as Jakarta plays role in reducing US-China tensions
By Augustus K. Yeung
INTRODUCTION
Politics is dull. That is why people turn to novels and short stories for entertainment and education. Historically, few books on politics have made it to the New York Times best-sellers list. But fictions do; they can turn a mundane subject such as politics into an arena in which there is power play and gossips, making social life interesting. "The Courtship of Susan Bell" by Anthony Trollope (1815 – 82), written in the 19th century, still reverberates and remains telling today.
But politics needs not be boring if we cast it in the light of a short story, taking Anthony Trollope's conception of "courtship" and applying it to the case of Indonesia by two gentlemen, one mighty American and the other, a business-minded Chinese.
Who wins out in the end, the Americans, or the Chinese?
Back to reality: As the United States pivots to Asia-Pacific, especially when President Biden has pledged to be personally committed, there is reason to take the region seriously.
How should ASEAN member states, such as Indonesia, respond to this shift in American policy?
In view of America's military might, especially when the Senate has just passed the "$858 military bill" for the year, concern for the region is understandable.
Let us look at how Indonesia plays its card, and you will see Asian wisdom in action.
Indonesia Pledges to Remain Neutral Amid the US-China Rivalry
Indonesia will always take a neutral diplomatic position and maintain relations with major powers including China and Russia, though it will defend its sovereignty when needed, the country's defense minister said during a news briefing with his American counterpart.
"Indonesia always takes the position of trying to maintain the best of relationships with all nations, especially all major powers. We have openly declared many, many times that we consider China to be a friendly nation to Indonesia," Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto said after meeting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Prabowo said Indonesia prioritized dialogue on matters of "possible misunderstanding, possible differences of opinions in matters of territorial waters…"
The meeting came three days after Prabowo visited China at the invitation of his counterpart Wei Fenghe, underlining Indonesia's interest to remain neutral amid the US-China rivalry.
He said Indonesia, being "good friends to both the US and China, could play a supporting role in "maintaining communications, relationships" to prevent an escalation of tensions.
Prabowo noted that Jakarta had not faced any pressure from Washington regarding its relations with Beijing.
"Our American friends have never pressured us to cease our relationship with China, so we value our relationship with China. As an independent and sovereign country, we reserve the right to use and acquire equipment from many countries," he said resolutely.
Austin: Indonesia is a Leader in the Region, US Wants it to Remain Free and Open
Regarding bilateral ties with the US in years ahead, Austin said: "Indonesia is a leader in the region, and because we share common values on and a common vision for the region, we want it to remain free and open. What we'll focus on going forward is making sure we continue to build on interoperability and focus on modernization of capabilities."
Indonesia and China are close economic and investment partners, with Beijing remaining Indonesia's largest foreign investor in recent years. Bilateral trade between both countries exceeded US$120 billion last year, up by 58.6 percent on the year.
In January-June 2022, China was also Indonesia's second-largest foreign investor with US$3.6 billion in realized investment, behind Singapore, which has realized US$6.7 billion ahead of Hong Kong's US$ 2.9 billion.
In their meeting last week, Prabowo and Wei agreed to resume joint exercises and training, which were halted during the pandemic. While Indonesia's defense relationship with China is not as strong as that with the US, Prabowo has said that ties with Beijing had "grown quite dynamic" in recent years.
Jakarta and Beijing have cooperated across joint naval exercises, training programs for military officers and think tanks, and fighting transnational crimes and disaster prevention, according to a statement on Indonesia's Ministry of Defense website following their most recent meeting.
Wei said the two countries' military should "play a greater role in maintaining regional security and stability as the Asia-Pacific region is facing complex challenges".
Yesterday, Austin said since 1970, more than 7,000 Indonesian military and civilian personnel had been educated in the US, and the US had provided more than US$130 million in training and education funds for Indonesian students.
More than 100 American military officers had also been educated in Indonesia, he said. (Source: SCMP)
CONCLUSION
The following retrieved facts and figures will help to enrich the drama: The development of the current situation that one officer from the West and the gentleman from the East are keen on this courtship and the lady's response is what makes the regional politics of Asia-Pacific melodramatic.
Jakarta has looked to Washington to modernize its defense system and capabilities. In February, it announced it would buy 36 F-15EX fighter jets worth US$13.9 billion.
Interestingly, Jakarta has been keeping its China trade in mind: Indonesia and China are close economic partners, with Beijing remaining Indonesia's largest foreign investor in recent years. Bilateral trade between both countries exceeded US$120 billion last year, up 58.6 percent on the year.
In fact, in January-June 2022, China was also Indonesia's second-largest foreign investor with US$3.6 billion in realized investment, behind Singapore, which has realized US$6.7 billion ahead of Hong Kong's 2.9 billion.
In retrospect, Austin said since 1970, more than 7,000 Indonesian military and civilian personnel had been educated in the US, and the US had provided more than US$130 million in training and education funds for Indonesian students. More than 100 American military officers had also been educated in Indonesia, he said.
In this drama, Indonesia's a winner. If America leaves Myanmar to ASEAN to settle the dispute then, "All's well that ends well."
The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:
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