Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia’s former foreign minister, in 2013. Photo: AFP
Indonesia ‘a friend to all’ and won’t play favourites with US and China, says former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa
- China has been Indonesia’s largest trading partner since 2017, when it leapfrogged the US, and is also one of the country’s biggest investors
- But Jakarta’s ties with Washington remain important, both as a military ally and in countering extremism
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Indonesia
Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia’s former foreign minister, in 2013. Photo: AFP
Supporters of Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto clash with riot police in Jakarta in May. Photo: AP
What’s driving Indonesian paranoia over Chinese workers?
- The number of Chinese workers in Indonesia is tiny, yet they are often the target of fake news – as in the post-election riots that killed 8 people in Jakarta
- This distrust is rooted in history, culture and colonialism
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Chinese overseas
Supporters of Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto clash with riot police in Jakarta in May. Photo: AP