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View all search resultsIndonesia, Japan to bolster 'free, open' Indo-Pacific amid war in Ukraine
President Jokowi and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida agree to bolster the rules-based international order amid challenges such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) makes his remarks as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo looks on during a joint press conference after the Indonesia-Japan summit at the Bogor Palace in West Java, on April 29, 2022. (Courtesy of Presidential Secretariat/Muchlis Jr)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Jakarta on Friday for a two-day visit to strengthen cooperation with Indonesia in upholding the international rules-based order against immediate challenges including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s assertiveness in the region.
The premier held lengthy talks with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo until late in the afternoon, after which they emerged with an agreement to bolster concerted efforts to realize a “free and open Indo-Pacific” that Japan has pushed for and that Indonesia has spearheaded through the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
“We are facing many challenges, including the situations in Ukraine, the East and South China Seas and North Korea. Maintaining and strengthening a rules-based, free and open international order has become more important than ever,” Kishida said in a joint press conference after the summit.
Jokowi in turn stressed that “Indonesia and other ASEAN countries stand ready to cooperate with their partners, especially in the maritime sector, on connectivity and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as in trade and investment”.
From their meeting, Kishida has pledged more financing for the further development of Patimban seaport in West Java, close to where many Japanese industrial firms operate.
Tokyo is also considering giving Indonesia patrol vessels to strengthen its capabilities to secure its vast waters, amid illicit Chinese activity in its own exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Fitriani, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said Indonesia needed to get closer to Japan to counterbalance the political competition that has preoccupied other countries in the region.
