Indonesia–China Relations: A Political-Security Perspective

Abstract

This chapter will discuss Indonesia–China relations in security issues. During the long period of time, the relationship between two countries was in ups and downs. Although the relationship between Indonesia and China in the Reform Era or post-Soeharto Era has been growing significantly, a number of security matters are still of high significance amid the development of the two country’s bilateral relations and important issues in the region. Threat perceptions from both the sides that have been evolved since the restoration of their diplomatic relations in the 1990s will be the starting point. An analysis covering such a prolonged time will provide a comparative overview of the two countries’ relations from the time when it has been first established, under the New Order regime, and up to the Reform Era. This chapter also addresses the two countries’ relationship at the regional level with a focus in a number of regional security issues. Although China has been involved in regional partnerships, such as ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and other forums, its increasingly assertive power, particularly in territorial issues, has inevitably made some countries consider that China’s rise is an important factor, if not a threat, that should be controlled. Since this chapter examines the issues within an Indonesian perspective, it situates China as a “static partner” or it does not talk much about the Chinese perspective in some aspects.