Widodo’s Asean summit ‘snub’ reveals gaps in Indonesia’s foreign policy

Outgoing President Joko Widodo’s absence from a recent Asean summit reinforces the “stagnation” of Indonesia’s foreign policy during his tenure, analysts say – raising questions about the commitment of his successor, Prabowo Subianto, towards the bloc. Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin represented Indonesia at the summit in Vientiane, Laos, with Widodo’s office attributing his non-attendance to preparations for the presidential handover set for this Sunday. His absence was “a foreign policy blunder”, according to an editorial in the The Jakarta Post, the nation’s leading English-language newspaper. “Jokowi’s absence undermines Indonesia’s claim that Asean is the cornerstone of its foreign policy, a mantra our diplomats never tire of reciting,” it said, referring to Widodo by his popular nickname. “If Asean is that important to Indonesia, the president should be on the front line to prove it.” The summit offered Widodo a final chance to engage with regional and global leaders, including representatives from the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea. Asean called for a swift agreement on a code of conduct for the South China Sea and urged an immediate halt to hostilities in Myanmar, advocating for inclusive peace talks to resolve the ongoing civil war in a statement released on Sunday. Widodo’s “snub” of the summit was characteristic of a broader trend of Asean disengagement under his tenure, according to political analyst Yohanes Sulaiman from Jenderal Achmad Yani University in West Java. “Jokowi is a very pragmatic president and only makes foreign trips if they are economically beneficial to him or Indonesia,” Yohanes said, noting that much of Indonesia’s international engagement has been delegated to diplomats during his decade-long presidency. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has often been the face of Indonesia’s international diplomacy under Widodo. “The biggest problem with Jokowi not caring about Asean means that Indonesia is jeopardising an important tool in its arsenal when it comes to foreign policy,” Yohanes warned. “Asean can only grow stronger when countries like Indonesia invest their political capital in it.” Despite Indonesia often being viewed as Asean’s de facto leader – having initiated deeper Indo-Pacific engagement and proposing a five-point plan for Myanmar – Widodo has faced criticism for not enhancing his nation’s influence within the bloc and beyond. “Indonesian foreign policy under Jokowi is marked by stagnation,” Yohanes said. “We have not seen a lot of breakthroughs.” By contrast, analysts anticipate a more proactive approach under Prabowo, who speaks multiple languages and has already visited more than a dozen countries since his election win in February. His September visits to five Asean member states, following trips to China, Japan, the Middle East and Europe, suggest an eagerness to elevate Indonesia’s global standing and make it “respected in international relations”, in line with his election manifesto. “Prabowo may look at Asean as one of the ways that Indonesia can leverage its influence,” Yohanes said. “At the same time, it is hard to say how much attention and political capital he will spend on Asean under his tenure.” As president, Prabowo might focus more on bilateral and minilateral cooperation instead, Yohanes suggested. Widodo’s trend of deprioritising Asean looks like it may continue under Prabowo, according to an August analysis by David Camroux, an honorary senior research fellow at the Centre for International Studies at Sciences Po in France, and researcher Mahrus Harnadi from the same university. “Prabowo’s apparent disdain for the consensual and lethargic ‘Asean way’ of decision-making could well continue into his presidency,” they wrote, amid growing criticism of Asean’s lack of progress on regional challenges, including Myanmar’s civil war and tensions in the South China Sea. “If you want to make changes to Asean then countries will have to be willing to spend political capital reforming the institution,” Yohanes said. “It is not clear whether Prabowo will have the patience to do so either.”

Widodo’s Asean summit ‘snub’ reveals gaps in Indonesia’s foreign policy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}His successor Prabowo Subianto seems indifferent towards the regional bloc as well – raising concerns about Indonesia’s leadership role

His successor Prabowo Subianto seems indifferent towards the regional bloc as well – raising concerns about Indonesia’s leadership role