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STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT-Jakarta. President Jokowi’s one-off suggestion that Indonesia might send a general to pursue military engagement with Myanmar’s junta seemed to be losing traction, those familiar with the matter sad as the Indonesian National Military (TNI) had yet to receive any instructions from its commander in chief on the matter.
With no word either from the Foreign Affairs Ministry and a lack of confirmation from the TNI and the Executive Office of the President (KSP), questions have arisen as to whether Indonesia, as this year’s ASEAN chair, was still considering military engagement as its strategy to address the Myanmar crisis.
Jokowi first made the suggestion in a recent interview with a foreign news agency, but it soon became clear that it was an off-the-cuff and not an actual strategy, even as some analysts noted that a military-to-military dialogue might have merit and the idea had a successful precedent.
Current rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Indonesia and China have said that both countries will intensify the negotiations for a South China Sea code of conduct.
Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi and her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang said this to the media during Mr Qin’s working visit to Indonesia.
Mr Qin is on a three-day working visit at the invitation of Mdm Marsudi where both ministers discussed regional as well as bilateral issues.
Indonesia was reiterated that Asean countries should not become a proxy for any power and that it will try to expedite the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) during its chairmanship of the regional grouping this year.
The remarks were delivered by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during a joint press conference with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, who is on a two-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation, his first trip to the region after he was appointed to the post in December.
“Asean should not become a proxy for any power,” Retno said. “Indonesia and Asean have a strong interest in Southeast Asia remaining a peaceful and stable region and making it a centre of economic growth.”
Negotiations on a code of conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea will be intensified this year, Minister Retno and Qin said as the region frets over China’s assertiveness in the strategic waterway. “Indonesia and ASEAN would like to produce an effective, substantive, and actionable (code of conduct),” Minister Retno said.
Minister Qin added that China and ASEAN will jointly safeguard peace and stability in the strategic trade corridor, through which about $3.4 trillion of goods pass each year.
China would work with ASEAN countries to accelerate consultations on the code, he said. He added that China supports ASEAN’s strategic independence and respects ASEAN’s centrality in the regional architecture.
Minister Qin and Minister Retno announced in a joint statement that China was committed to “synergizing” with nations from Southeast Asia to keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable, amid heightened tensions over the disputed waters.
ln the statement, issued during Qin’s maiden state visit to the region, China pledged to uphold contributions to regional security and intensify dialogue.
Qin claimed Beijing would work toward a “prosperous, beautiful, and amicable” region and champion “true multilateralism,” an apparent swipe at U.S.-led minilateral groupings focused on containing Chinese aggression.
Minister Retno and Minister Qin led the 4th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting between Indonesia and China. Retno said the trade barrier from Indonesia to China must be removed as both countries attempted to strengthen their partnership.
She said that streamlining the trade process between China and Indonesia covers several aspects, such as exporter licensing in Indonesia; the finalization of a new protocol on the export of tropical fruits; and the export of Indonesian fisheries products. According to Retno, China is Indonesia’s largest trade partner.
In 2022, the total amount of bilateral trade between the two countries reached a new record of $133.65 billion. Meanwhile, in the investment sector, China is the second largest investor in Indonesia. In the fourth quarter of 2022, China even went on to become the largest investor in Indonesia.
Minister Qin urged Asia-Pacific countries, including ASEAN members, to stand firm in the face of rivalries between regional superpowers. He went on to say that countries in the region should not take sides.
China has faith in Indonesia and other ASEAN countries, which are always on the side of regional peace, stability, and prosperity. He also advocated for the avoidance of a new cold war in the Asia-Pacific region amid recent tensions between the United States and China.
Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia does not side with China or the United States, saying both countries were important partners for Indonesia. Retno recalled U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent statements at U.S.-ASEAN meetings that the United States did not put ASEAN in a position to choose. The Chinese side also stated that it was not forcing ASEAN to do so.
According to Retno, this is a very good thing, because it is impossible for ASEAN to take sides. Furthermore, Retno said ASEAN has high trust in one another, and has the convening power to gather all members to sit and talk.
Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi urged countries to join efforts to promote nuclear disarmament. She made her call during her address at the Conference on Disarmament meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Without decisive concrete action, a nuclear disaster is only a matter of time, and this risk is getting bigger as the major powers’ rivalry intensifies,” said the Foreign Minister.
Minister Retno said that nuclear disarmament efforts require political will. The main focus to be encouraged, she said, is legally binding Negative Security Assurances (NSA) that guarantees that nuclear weapon states will not use or threaten the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.
