Jakarta
The government has officially submitted to the United Nations its claim on an extension of the continental shelf southwest of the island of Sumatra, its second such foray in the Indian Ocean, which is of growing importance. Indonesia finds itself in the crux of an emerging Indo-Pacific order, the region straddling the Indian and Pacific oceans, which has become a major global engine of growth and the site of major maritime trade routes. In an era of competing maritime interests, the country has been setting aside resources to consolidate its territorial integrity, in accordance with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s vision of the Global Maritime Fulcrum. Efforts to transform the world’s largest archipelagic nation into a credible maritime power include affirming sovereign rights and maritime borders in accordance with international law. Read also: Indon...