Indonesia, Britain agree to deepen security, trade partnership ahead of warship’s visit to Indo-Pacific

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab says both nations are entering ‘a new era of cooperation in the defence sector’

Raab’s visit comes as Britain eyes becoming an Asean dialogue partner amid its Indo-Pacific tilt post-Brexit

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British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, meet in Jakarta. Photo: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/EPA-EFE

Published: 11:00pm, 7 Apr 2021Updated: 1:39am, 8 Apr 2021

Indonesia and Britain have agreed to deepen security, defence and trade ties, British foreign secretary Dominic Raab said in Jakarta on Wednesday, as he highlighted a deployment of naval vessels to the Indo-Pacific later this year as a demonstration of its commitment to its regional partners.

“We’re preparing for the [British Royal Navy] Carrier Strike Group’s visit here to the region later in this year. That is an important moment for us to strengthen areas of collaboration,” Raab said during a joint news briefing with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi.

The Carrier Strike Group will be led by the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of the two largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy. It is expected to sail through the disputed South China Sea – where China and several Southeast Asian states have competing claims – during its operational mission around the middle of the year.

Earlier this year, China lashed out at Britain’s plans to dispatch the HMS Queen Elizabeth and its strike group to the region, saying it would take necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty.

Last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, in laying out its foreign and defence policy priorities after leaving the European Union (EU), made clear that Britain was seeking to grow its influence among Indo-Pacific countries, including Southeast Asian states, to address China’s growing might.

While Indonesia is not a party to the South China Sea dispute, it has repeatedly turned away Chinese vessels from the North Natuna Sea, which is part of its exclusive economic zone, and where China claims it has traditional fishing rights.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail to the Indo-Pacific later this year. Photo: AFP

Retno, the Indonesian foreign minister, said maritime security would be one of several areas in defence and security where Jakarta would seek deeper cooperation with London. Raab concurred, saying that while Britain and Indonesia were in “different parts of the world”, they were “maritime powers with strong maritime interests”.

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