The navigation of Indonesian foreign policy amidst the contemporary geopolitical contestation in the Indo-Pacific region

Gultom, Stefan Christian (2023) The navigation of Indonesian foreign policy amidst the contemporary geopolitical contestation in the Indo-Pacific region. Bachelor thesis, Universitas Pelita Harapan.

Preview	Text (Title) Title.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (187kB) | Preview
Preview	Text (Abstract) Abstract.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (293kB) | Preview
Preview	Text (ToC) ToC.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (767kB) | Preview
Preview	Text (Chapter 1) Chapter1.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (1MB) | Preview
	Text (Chapter 2) Chapter2.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (2MB)
	Text (Chapter 3) Chapter3.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (597kB)
	Text (Chapter 4) Chapter4.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (9MB)
	Text (Chapter 5) Chapter5.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (477kB)
Preview	Text (Bibliography) Bibliography.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (2MB) | Preview
	Text (Appendices) Appendices.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike. Download (8MB)

Abstract

The Indo-Pacific region has become the center of international strategic issues since the past decades. As Cold War tensions start to wane and Asian countries gain their economic momentum, especially China, the attention has moved East. The Post-Cold War era cemented that the United States was the sole hegemon in the world. However, in view of the unprecedented economic and military rise of China, the global distribution of power has started to alter. From this perspective, it projects a contest between the United States, as the hegemon defending the status quo, and China, as the emerging superpower trying to establish a new regional order. Additionally, the intense and complex interaction within the Indo-Pacific region has also alleviated the strategic roles of middle power countries. As the Indo-Pacific offers significant economic benefits, the region becomes more integrated and politically risky. Moreover, tensions within the region have risen significantly, primarily between the two contesting powers of the United States and China. This magnitude of tension within a region so strategic creates great instability which is extensively harmful for countries within the region. Consequently, Indonesia is affected by this and needs their independent and active foreign policy to navigate its way amidst the volatile rivalry. However, foreign policy making is faced with domestic factors that shape the policy itself. There are a variety of factors that Indonesia needs to manage domestically in order to implement the most optimal foreign policy. Furthermore, how President Jokowi perceives the issue gives substantial impact to what Indonesia’s foreign policy decisions ought to be. Since President Jokowi led the country, the priority has always been at the domestic level which focuses on economic development. Therefore, it is expected that President Jokowi implements foreign policies that are inward-looking. Even with Indonesia’s ambitious Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy, it reflects the significance of domestic economic interest. In stark, this paper highlights foreign policy analysis which follows a Neoclassical Realism theory. Thus, Indonesia’s foreign policy under President Jokowi is characterized with a disinterest of global political ambition. Nonetheless, ASEAN still plays a crucial role in contributing to manage the regional tension. Indonesia is considered as the de-facto leader of ASEAN and has already led the bloc in various frameworks and concepts, primarily the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific. However, the tensions in the Indo-Pacific persists which raises the need for Indonesia to reconfigure its approach. / Kawasan Indo-Pasifik telah menjadi perhatian penting dan salah satu pusat isu strategis internasional dalam beberapa dekade terakhir. Dengan menurunnya ketegangan Perang Dingin dan juga Kenaikan momentum perekonomian negara-negara Asia, terutama Tiongkok, pusat perhatiannya mengarah ke Asia Timur. Era pasca-Perang Dingin menandakan bahwa Amerika Serikat merupakan satu-satunya hegemon di dunia. Tetapi, melihat dari pertumbuhan ekonomi dan milliter Tongkok, distribusi persebaran kekuatan global mulai berubah. Dari perspektif ini, adanya kontestasi antara Amerika Serikat dan Tiongkok. Interaksi-interaksi dalam kawasan Indo-Pasifik yang sangat intens dan rumit memberi peluang strategis untuk negara-negara kekuatan menengah. Memahami besarnya potensi keuntungan ekonomi yang bisa digarap, Indo-Pasifik menjadi lebih terintergrasi dan beresiko politik. Selain itu, ketegangan dalam kawasan telah meningkat secara signifikan, terutama antara Amerika Serikat dan Tiongkok. Tingkat ketegangan sebesar ini akan menimbulkan ketidakstabilan yang akan berbahaya pada negara-negara di kawasan. Indonesia terdampak dengan isu tersebut, di mana kebijakan politik luar negeri bebas-aktif harus bergerak di tengah persaingan. Dalam pelaksanaannya, kebijakan luar negeri juga tetap harus bersandar kepada kepentingan nasional Indonesia dengan memperhatikan faktor domestik yang membentuk kebijakan itu sendiri. Ada banyak faktor domestik yang Indonesia harus di kelola untuk mengimplementasikan kebijakan luar negeri yang paling optimal. Selebihnya, persepsi Presiden Jokowi terhadap isu tersebut memberikan dampak yang besar terhadap keputusan kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia. Sejak kepemimpinan Presiden Jokowi, prioritas negara tetap berada di tingkat domestik, terutama fokus terhadap pembangunan ekonomi. Presiden Jokowi fokus untuk mengimplementasikan kebijakan luar negeri yang bersifat inward looking. Bahkan, strategi Poros Maritim Dunia mencerminkan kepentingan ekonomi domestik. Dengan demikian, kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia di bawah Presiden Jokowi dicirikan dengan ketidaktertarikan terhadap ambisi politik global. Tulisan ini menggambarkan analisis kebijakan luar negeri yang didasari oleh teori Realis Neoklasik. Namun demikian, ASEAN tetap berperan penting untuk mengelola ketegangan di kawasan. Indonesia dikenal sebagai pemimpin de-fakto ASEAN dan juga telah mempimpin dalam berbagai macam kerangka kerja dan konsep-konsep, terutama ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific. Namun, ketegangan pada kawasaan Indo-Pasifik masih tetap berlangsung, yang mendorong pentingnya untuk Indonesia merekonfigurasi pendekatannva.

Actions (login required)

View Item