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Indo-Pacific issues: Time for a global Bandung conference
The increasing rivalry between China and the US in the Indo-Pacific will inevitably involve Indonesia, which use take its strategic position and leverage in the region to initiate a new world order in the spirit of the Bandung Conference.
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US President Joe Biden (right) speaks to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison virtually on national security on Sept. 15, 2021, as pictured in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP/Brendan Smialowski)
T
he Indonesian Foreign Ministry has rightly released a statement on Sept. 17 to express its deep concern about the continuing arms and power projection in the region. With the newly announced AUKUS initiative and the purchase of nuclear submarines, Australia has now unequivocally opted for an alliance with the United States that aims to contain China.
The Republic of Indonesia, located in the center of the Indo-Pacific region, is currently in the eye of an intensifying geopolitical storm which will determine its future and that of the country’s people, even much more.
It now seems, at least at first glance, to be only a matter of time before the Republic will also have to make a choice in this difficult matter.
Of course, Indonesia must be guided by the interests of the Republic and its people in the choice it must eventually make. The question is, what other considerations should guide the country in making this choice? What options are actually available to ensure the Republic survives the clash of the titans?
An important factor in these considerations is that Indonesia possesses the greatest possible geopolitical, economic and military strategic significance for both the US and China. Indonesia risks becoming a battleground, but it also has leverage in this matter.
Sitting in the center of the Indo-Pacific, Indonesia can control several most critical straits, including the ever-busy Strait of Malacca, which are of (direct) vital importance for not only China and the region, but the world’s economy.
Indonesia, with its extensive archipelagic territory, provides China access to Australia and its allies, and the reverse is also true. The adage "All roads lead to Rome", points out that numerous options are available to achieve one's goals, but when it comes to the future of the Indo-Pacific, it is fair to say that "All roads lead through Indonesia". This means that the options for China and the US are limited and that whatever happens will involve Indonesia.
