Why Indonesia Is China’s New Best Friend in Southeast Asia
Beijing is courting Jakarta with promises of investments. Meanwhile, the US is losing sway the longer it dithers over Gaza.
In search of some global leadership.
Photographer: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images
When Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto chose to visit China months before his inauguration, it caused eyebrows to raise across the region. Jakarta has long sought to balance its relationship with Beijing and its close ties with the US, so to send such a strong message caught many off guard.
Yet the blossoming relationship is a sign that these Asian economic giants are finding fresh ways to engage. China and Indonesia’s friendship is being cemented along the lines of increased opportunities for investment, but it’s not just that. Indonesians are increasingly concerned about the Biden administration’s failure to restrain Israel’s actions in Gaza. If the US wants to win hearts and minds while China plays the long game in Indonesia, then finding a way to allay those concerns is critical.