The Jakarta Post
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsRI pledges neutrality during Pompeo visit
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called for more “concrete cooperation” in the economy with the United States when he received US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday, as the Southeast Asia region continues to be the flashpoint for a geopolitical power struggle between Beijing and Washington.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Set as preferred source
T
he government upheld its pledge to remain neutral in the rivalry between China and the United States on Thursday, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stopped by Jakarta during a whirlwind Asian tour aimed at coaxing key countries in the region to stem the rise of China.
After a bilateral meeting with Pompeo, during which he praised Indonesia for safeguarding its “maritime sovereignty" in the North Natuna Sea and said that China's claims of the South China Sea were unlawful, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said Indonesia was sticking to its principle of a free and independent foreign policy.
"I reemphasized the need to pursue inclusive cooperation amid this challenging time, and I underlined the need for every country to be part of the solution in the collective contribution towards world peace, stability and prosperity," Retno said.
She added that her meeting with Pompeo was "cordial" and "productive".
Retno’s statement echoed what she said in September when she cautioned both China and the US not to involve Indonesia in their regional struggle for influence.
"We don't want to get trapped by this rivalry," Retno said during an interview with Reuters.
In a joint press conference with Retno on Thursday morning, Pompeo praised Indonesia for taking "decisive action to safeguard its maritime sovereignty" in the North Natuna Sea, as Indonesia refers to the northern reaches of its Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea.
