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Jokowi calls for peace, stability in Pacific amid Biden-Xi dialogue
Indonesia has been intensifying its engagement with its smaller island-nation neighbors amid tensions between the United States and China.
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (left) delivers remarks alongside members of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week in San Francisco, the United States, on Nov. 16, 2023. (AFP/Brendan Smialowski)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to peace and stability in the Pacific as leaders from 21 Asia-Pacific nations gather in San Francisco, the United States, and rivals Washington and Beijing seek to patch up their strained relationship.
Meeting with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape and Fiji PM Sitiveni Rabuka on Thursday local time, Jokowi said Jakarta would continue pursuing a stronger relationship with the Pacific islands through development cooperation.
The meeting reflected “the increasingly [strong] brotherhood between Pacific nations,” the President said.
“Once again, I’d like to emphasize that Indonesia is committed to making the Pacific region into a peaceful, stable and prosperous one,” he continued.
Jokowi has been on an American tour over the past week ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, slated for Thursday and Friday local time. Earlier this week, the President met with his American counterpart Joe Biden in Washington, DC.
Business deals remained a top priority for Jokowi, evinced by the whirlwind of economic meetings the President held throughout the week. But his visit came amid multiple sources political unease, including uncertainty surrounding an in-person meeting between Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the economic forum.
The US-China rivalry has put the Indo-Pacific region in an awkward and at times dangerous position over the past years, as the two great powers compete for influence in the region.
