US, Indonesia elevate relations, but some hurdles remain

Biden hails new era of cooperation across range of areas at meeting with Jokowi

- Nirmal Ghosh

Indonesia and the United States have elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, following a bilateral meeting on Monday between President Joe Biden and his Indonesian counterpart, Mr Joko Widodo.

The elevation marks a new level in a relationship that has at times been touchy, with concerns among some US senators over labour rights and environmental standards in Indonesia.

However, with the US keen on diversifying its supply chains to reduce its reliance on China, and also to secure supplies of critical minerals needed for its energy transition, and Indonesia concerned about its maritime territory in the face of increasing assertiveness by China in the South China Sea, the two countries are finding new common ground.

They pledged cooperation across a range of areas, including diversification of supply chains, development of Indonesia’s semiconductor industry, and cooperation on defence – which will see more frequent meetings between senior defence officials on both sides.

“This will mark a new era… across the board, affecting everything,” President Biden said at the outset of their meeting.

“It includes enhancing security cooperation, particularly maritime security. And it includes expanding our work together to build a secure and resilient supply chain.”

The White House meeting with President Widodo “shows the importance Washington places on Indonesia, the most powerful state in South-east Asia and one that often has been ignored by past administrations”, Mr Josh Kurlantzick, senior fellow for South-east Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) – a Washington think-tank – wrote on CFR’s Asia Unbound blog.