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For Indonesia, power lies in diplomacy: Study
The Lowy Institute’s latest Asia Power Index reveals that while Indonesia is weakest in military terms, its strongest scores are in diplomacy.
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Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi delivers her annual speech detailing the achievements and upcoming targets of Indonesian diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry building in Pejambon, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 11, 2022. (Courtesy of/Indonesian Foreign Ministry)
D
espite the prevailing narrative that countries in the Indo-Pacific are struggling to navigate complex power rivalry in the region, Southeast Asia is more diplomatically dynamic than ever, a recent Lowy Asia Power Index report found on Sunday.
And while COVID-19 has negatively affected most nations, Indonesia has successfully maintained its position as among Asia’s top-10 powers following its recent diplomatic feats, the study said.
While diplomacy and resilience are among Jakarta’s best performing categories, its military capability and defense networks remain lackluster, a weakness that experts say is rooted in a greater focus on strengthening regional stability rather than becoming entangled in militaristic pursuits.
The study, published by Sydney-based think tank the Lowy Institute, ranked 26 countries and territories using several measures of power based on resources and influence using nearly a decade’s worth of data leading up to 2022.
The 2023 edition, marked as one of the most comprehensive overviews of the shifting distribution power within Asia, expectedly named the United States and China as the two most powerful countries with scores of 80.7 and 72.5 respectively. With a score of 37.2, Japan was in the third position as a “middle power” followed by India, Russia and Australia.
The index placed Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest country in terms of population and economy, as the ninth largest power in the region with a score of 19.4.
Only Indonesia and Australia saw no shift in their score while the other top-10 powers saw a downward change.
