The push of domestic politics
With so much at stake why does Indonesia’s policy position on the South China Sea seem so ambivalent? Muhamad Arif looks at the domestic factors in play.
Under President Joko Widodo – commonly known as Jokowi – Indonesian foreign and security policy has been notable for its ambivalence when it comes to dealing with the rise of China and the South China Sea issue. Growing assertiveness towards maintaining territorial integrity, as seen in Indonesia’s ongoing defence modernisation project and new approach to military deployment, as well as its firm approach to law enforcement when dealing with illegal Chinese activities in Indonesian waters, has been coupled with caution to reign in this assertiveness before it reaches the point of endangering Indonesia’s cordial economic relationship with Beijing.
Understanding this ambivalent behaviour requires a closer look at the interventionist role of Indonesian domestic politics in shaping the substance, and determining the timing, of its foreign and security policy.
International systemic factors primarily drive states’ behaviour. The shifting balance of power in the region, following the economic and military rise of China and its expanding power projection in the South China Sea, requires a response from Indonesia. The geography that places Indonesia right at the crossroads of major powers’ interests also requires it to pay great attention to regional security. While promising Indonesia economic benefits, this very same geographic reality also exposes the country to harmful external influences. This threat perception of potential external powers’ hidden intrusion is still apparent today.