{"id":2176,"date":"2012-11-09T13:36:05","date_gmt":"2012-11-09T03:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=2176"},"modified":"2012-11-26T21:40:49","modified_gmt":"2012-11-26T11:40:49","slug":"an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"An Indonesia strategy for Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"blogsy-1352650059162.6985\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2183 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jakarta.jpg\" alt=\"Image entitled \" width=\"1230\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jakarta.jpg 1230w, https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jakarta-205x141.jpg 205w, https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jakarta-1024x703.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1230px) 100vw, 1230px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Indonesia seems to know where it\u2019s going. At least that\u2019s the impression that Indonesia\u2019s Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan\u2019s gave in <a href=\"http:\/\/asiapacific.anu.edu.au\/events\/20121012-gita-wirjawan.php\" target=\"_blank\">his recent talk at the ANU<\/a> discussing his country\u2019s trajectory towards 2030. His speech envisions <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ANUasiapacific\/status\/256616132256096256\" target=\"_blank\">Indonesia as a future economic heavyweight<\/a> and as a democracy that has consolidated its weaknesses, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2012\/10\/21\/teaching-indonesia-s-children.html\" target=\"_blank\">invested in areas like education<\/a> and harnessed the full potential of its population\u2014a large proportion of which is under 30. According to Wirjawan, if the \u2018directionality\u2019 of Indonesia\u2019s democracy is right\u2014and he believes it is\u2014then for Indonesia, the sky\u2019s the limit.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s striking about Wirjawan\u2019s vision is its simple yet pragmatic formula. It begins with constructing an ambitious path for the nation. It\u2019s followed by a systematic identification of the roadblocks and challenges, as well as their possible solutions, to set the right course. With a clear trajectory, armed with innovation and determination, the future seems eminently attainable. This is the view of a vital young country (which it effectively is).<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to Australia\u2019s strategic relations with Indonesia, Pak Wirjawan\u2019s ideas should give us some clues about how we might set ourselves some goals for a much greater degree of engagement. We haven\u2019t done anything like it yet; as a nation, we\u2019re yet to articulate in a clear policy as to where Indonesia fits into our national objectives and, importantly, where we fit into theirs.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The <em>Asian Century White Paper<\/em> has mapped out a policy for Australia to draw closer to the region, anchoring its future (at least in broad economic terms) to the near abroad. Yet Indonesia, as it becomes an influential global player, is looking further and reaching out beyond the region. Indonesia is increasingly seeing itself in terms of being a member of the G20. It might be that Australia is a smaller part of Indonesia\u2019s worldview than we imagine. That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not worth pursuing closer ties. Rather, we need to be realistic about the prospect of success of our White Paper initiatives if our Asia-enthusiasm isn\u2019t reciprocated.<\/p>\n<p>If that\u2019s the case, it\u2019s not enough to say we want a closer relationship with our nearest neighbour. We need a clear Indonesia strategy that describes the <em>how<\/em> as well as the <em>why<\/em>. It\u2019s tempting to see closer relations as the desired end state, but they are means, not ends. And the ends we aspire to must be mutually beneficial and enduring.<\/p>\n<p>Having been a keen Indonesia watcher for a while, I\u2019ve got a few thoughts to offer. The relationship discussion might begin with identifying a number of key working assumptions about future trends in the region (looking perhaps 20 years ahead), from which we can develop a coherent plan for Australia and Indonesia to relate and work with each other. As I outlined <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/more-than-words-australia-indonesia-strategic-relations\/\" target=\"_blank\">in a post a few weeks ago<\/a>, using constructive language about Indonesia as a strategic partner in our 2013 Defence White Paper is a good start. But it\u2019s also only part of a larger picture.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia and Australia have a stake, both individually and collectively, in the economic and military development of the Asian Pacific region (or even beyond), so there\u2019s an opportunity to work together to shape developments as far as possible in our favour. Understanding how Australia fits into Indonesia\u2019s national strategy is an essential part of this equation. And Australia needs to understand that we won\u2019t be calling all the shots\u2014if Indonesia makes even partly good on its aspirations, we\u2019ll have less leverage with every passing year.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Asian Century White Paper<\/em> talks about developing a \u2018comprehensive country strategy\u2019 with Indonesia (p. 31). An appropriate framework, depending on how far both countries want to go, might include a comprehensive partnership along the lines of the agreement <a href=\"http:\/\/www.state.gov\/r\/pa\/prs\/ps\/2011\/07\/169001.htm\" target=\"_blank\">signed between Indonesia and the United States in 2010<\/a>. The framework\u2014seen as a \u2018long-term commitment to elevate bilateral relations\u2019\u2014is particular to the history of US-Indonesia relations but it\u2019s seen as <a href=\"http:\/\/csis.org\/publication\/comprehensive-partnership-nudges-us-indonesia-relations-new-levels-cooperation\" target=\"_blank\">highly successful<\/a>. The working groups established under the auspices of the partnership add depth to the relationship in key areas. Australia already has strong ties with Indonesia across several sectors but a comprehensive agreement would ensure that <em>all<\/em> aspects of the relationship move us towards the same future vision with a shared sense of purpose. It might also, as ASEAN Secretary General Dr Surin Pitsuwan <a href=\"http:\/\/www.anu.edu.au\/vision\/videos\/6831\/\" target=\"_blank\">prescribed<\/a> earlier this month, allow Australia to see the bilateral relationship in the context of ASEAN dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just one way of thinking strategically about the long-term relationship between our countries. There are, of course, plenty more. But given the geo-strategic location of Indonesia and its transformation over the last 14 years, it\u2019s a wonder that we\u2019ve only just started to give it some real thought now.<\/p>\n<p><em>Natalie Sambhi is an analyst at ASPI and editor of <\/em>The Strategist<em>. Image courtesy of Flickr user <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/thrillseekr\/3227536731\/\">Thrillseekr<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Indonesia seems to know where it\u2019s going. At least that\u2019s the impression that Indonesia\u2019s Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan\u2019s gave in his recent talk at the ANU discussing his country\u2019s trajectory towards 2030. His speech envisions &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[41,17,51,8],"class_list":["post-2176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia-and-its-region","tag-asian-century","tag-australia","tag-defence-cooperation","tag-indonesia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>An Indonesia strategy for Australia | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Indonesia strategy for Australia | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Indonesia seems to know where it\u2019s going. 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His speech envisions ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-11-09T03:36:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-11-26T11:40:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jakarta.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1230\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"845\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Natalie Sambhi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Natalie Sambhi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\",\"name\":\"The Strategist\",\"description\":\"ASPI&#039;s analysis and commentary site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jakarta.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jakarta.jpg\",\"width\":1230,\"height\":845,\"caption\":\"\\\"Jakarta Night\\\"\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/\",\"name\":\"An Indonesia strategy for Australia | The Strategist\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-11-09T03:36:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2012-11-26T11:40:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/04ffc785366d3b75a31b655d5dd38e98\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"An Indonesia strategy for Australia\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/04ffc785366d3b75a31b655d5dd38e98\",\"name\":\"Natalie Sambhi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2fcc169f10f85de6443d93e8f0d89414?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2fcc169f10f85de6443d93e8f0d89414?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Natalie Sambhi\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/natalie-sambhi\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"An Indonesia strategy for Australia | The Strategist","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/an-indonesia-strategy-for-australia\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"An Indonesia strategy for Australia | The Strategist","og_description":"Indonesia seems to know where it\u2019s going. 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