Japan courts Indonesia with defence equipment as it seeks to counter China’s influence in Asia
The “two-plus-two” security talks are the first between Japan and a member of Asean
Japan has agreed with Indonesia to start negotiations on the transfer of defence equipment and technology to the Southeast Asian country, as they aimed to forge stronger ties amid China’s muscle-flexing in the South China Sea.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement during a joint press conference with his Indonesian counterpart as well as the Japanese and Indonesian defence ministers, following their first “two-plus-two” security talks in Tokyo.
The agreement was reached during the first such talks between Japan and a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Japan has been trying to boost security ties with the 10-country Asean amid China’s muscle-flexing in the South China Sea.
Indonesia is a leader in Asean and has a major influence in Southeast Asia’s international politics. It has a big say on how Asean is moving forward
Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said dialogue is the key to settle disputes in the South China Sea. Some Asean members are embroiled in overlapping territorial claims in that sea with Beijing.
Retno Marsudi, Indonesia’s foreign minister, meanwhile, said her country and Japan also agreed to set up a hotline between their countries’ foreign and defence ministers, and to regularly hold two-plus-two talks.
The ministers said they also discussed counterterrorism measures, with Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu expressing hope for bilateral cooperation to fight terrorism.
While Japan and Indonesia do not have overlapping territorial claims with China in the South China Sea, unlike Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines among Asean members and Taiwan, both countries see the importance of upholding international law and freedom of navigation regarding the sea, Japanese officials said.
Experts in Asean affairs noted the strategic importance for Japan to forge a two-plus-two framework with Indonesia given its clout in Asean and Tokyo’s need to demonstrate even stronger ties with the regional bloc amid a severe security environment in Asia.
“Indonesia is a leader in Asean and has a major influence in Southeast Asia’s international politics. It has a big say on how Asean is moving forward,” said Mie Oba, a professor of international relations at the Tokyo University of Science.
“For Japan, setting up and launching a two-plus-two framework with regional-power Indonesia is significant in boosting Japan’s relations with Asean,” Oba said.
Tensions in the South China Sea, a key international shipping route, have heightened especially in the wake of China’s fast-paced and massive land reclamation work that has made smaller Asian claimants uneasy.
While Indonesia has mostly shied away from antagonising China in the territorial row, it is wary of China’s maritime forays and vast claims in the sea, given that China’s so-called “nine-dash line” territorial claim overlaps with Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone around the Natuna Islands.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo agreed during their summit talks in March to arrange the two-plus-two meeting, following a deal struck between Abe and Jokowi’s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in December 2013 to launch the framework.
The meeting took place amid what the officials described as improving signs over Japan-Indonesia ties strained due to the Southeast Asian country’s decision to choose China over Japan for its first high-speed rail link.
