But Washington needs a more ambitious and strategic form of statecraft to do so, according to the report from the Centre for a New American Security, a Washington think tank.
While Indonesia has long pursued a policy of strategic autonomy – where the US is its preferred security partner and China is key for investment and trade – the researchers said this approach increasingly conflicted with the reality of deepening political, economic and technological ties with China.
“This may have been possible in an era of warmer Sino-US relations, but as Beijing and Washington increasingly decouple their economies – especially for sensitive technologies – this balancing act could prove untenable,” the report said.
It also spelled out how China had “shrewdly cultivated” Indonesia, including becoming the country’s largest foreign investor and seeking to position itself as the tech partner of choice.
