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Indonesia-US defense ties at a turning point
The Pentagon is committed to cultivating and enhancing bilateral defense cooperation in line with US national security interests. Central to this mission is countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
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This handout picture from the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Jakarta on Jan. 24, 2018 shows Indonesian Military Chief Hadi Tjahjanto (right) posing with US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis (left) during his visit to the military headquarters. (Agence France -Presse/Handout)
T
he aim of United States Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ first official visit to Indonesia last January, the second by a top official from the President Donald Trump administration after Vice President Mike Pence, was to reinvigorate US-Indonesia defense relations.
The Pentagon is committed to cultivating and enhancing bilateral defense cooperation in line with US national security interests. Central to this mission is countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Labeling China a “strategic competitor” means the US views China as a national security concern, with great power competition unavoidable between Washington and Beijing.
This geopolitical rivalry is anticipated to play out vigorously in the Indo-Pacific, which includes Southeast Asia — Indonesia being at the heart of it as the largest country.
Foreign policy matters such as the South China Sea disputes were on the US backburner for most of 2017. But the focus was redirected to the South China Sea in the wake of the combative reaction of the Chinese leadership to what they perceive as a provocative move by the US in sailing a warship past a disputed island in January.
The willingness of China to show its strength in the South China Sea and the stated aim of the US to uphold the rule of law and freedom of navigation means that the US needs to actively re-engage in regional affairs by shoring up support among friendly countries, not least Indonesia.
Although the President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo government has been steadfast in its position that Indonesia is not a claimant in those disputes, it has its own conflict with China over the waters around the Natuna Islands, making territorial integrity a flashpoint in Indonesia-China relations.
