Indonesia Defense Strategy Towards Indo-Pacific (Case Study: The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific)

Abstract

The emergence of China's economy and military vis-a-vis US's strategy to regain its hegemony has shifted the global political constellation focus to the Southeast Asia region. The recent circumstance in the South China Sea followed by the intensification of the Indo-Pacific strategy, has not only, forcefully put the Southeast Asia region as a theater of China-US geopolitical rivalry, but also increasingly set the complexity of problems to the region. Responding to this context, on June 23, 2019, ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific as foreign policy guidance for its member-states, including Indonesia as an initiator. The objective of this paper is to discuss Indonesia's strategy beyond the ASEAN Outlook. Theoretical framework of regional security complex and regional governance used in explaining the security architecture and political contestation among Southeast Asian countries, and how it influences their stances in ASEAN's role as regional governance within its political mechanism in downplaying Indo-Pacific Strategy. Strategy theory used to analyze how Indonesia develop its strategy to initiate and promote the Outlook beyond its rational interest. Indonesia's role in the initiation and promotion of the ASEAN Outlook is played within the normative framework to upholding persistent regional stability and collective balancing towards the cogency of the Indo-Pacific strategy. Consequently, this condition impels a necessity for Indonesia to build its defense capability without setting aside the free and active policy.

Sino-Us Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific: Exploring Responses From Malaysia and Indonesia

“…Indonesia has leveraged its vital position within ASEAN by proposing the AOIP, which was subsequently adopted successfully by all the ASEAN member states. Moreover, Anwar (2020); Oktaviano et al (2020) and Qudsiati and Sholeh (2020) have all argued that Indonesia's significant role as a regional middle power contributes effectively to the development of the Indo-Pacific concept. Its strategic pursuit is to harmonise the influence of key actors, primarily the US and China, with the overarching goal of advancing Indonesia's interests.…”

“…In other words, Indonesia has been able to deploy a double-hedging strategy to navigate the regional order. Jakarta's commitment to the rules-based international order of the United States challenges the traditional approach of hedging in the context of small and middle countries when dealing with major powers (Oktaviano et al, 2020;Mubah, 2019). According to Wicaksana (2022), Indonesia uses different strategies to hedge against risks, which demonstrates a distinct understanding of power dynamics in the region.…”

Mengkaji Peluang dan Tantangan Praktik Paradiplomasi Pemerintah Daerah di Indonesia di Kawasan Indo-Pasifik

“…Di masa depan, aktor subnegara memiliki peran penting dalam tata kelola internasional (Hale, 2018). Indonesia yang memiliki letak geografis yang menguntungkan melihat isu geopolitik maritim menjadi krusial bagi negara berkepulauan ini, oleh karena itu, Indonesia memandang Indo-Pasifik sebagai kawasan yang prospektif bagi karena memiliki banyak potensi yang dapat dimanfaatkan dan dikerjasamakan (Oktaviano et al, 2020).…”

The Urgencies of Collaborative Governance in Strengthening Non-Military Defense

“…At the regional level, for example, the geopolitical rivalry between the holders of the status quo hegemon, the United States, and the new challenger, China, has led to the intensification of the Indo-Pacific program in the Southeast Asia region. Indonesia with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) vehicle then tries to convert this reality into opportunities for cooperation with an orientation to non-military issues (Oktaviano, Mahroza, and Risman, 2020).…”