What Indonesia has gained is strategic autonomy, clout with the US and within Asean, and a bigger voice on the global stage On January 6, Indonesia was admitted as a full member to Brics, a multinational bloc now comprising 10 key developing economies spanning Europe,

In a heated Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Sen. Tammy Duckworth grilled the proposed defense secretary over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, asking him if he could name one m

The two sides pledged support for joint maritime security efforts amid Beijing’s ongoing drive for closer ties with the Southeast Asian giant.

Indonesia will expand its existing defence partnerships and step up its handling of strategic issues impacting its sovereignty, including maritime security and the safety of sea passage and fisheries,

The BrahMos missile system, capable of striking targets at a range of 290 kilometres with speeds exceeding Mach 2.8, is a game-changer for Indonesia.

Diplomats from Indonesia and China unveil a logo to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan. 7, 2025. The logo was created by an Indonesian youth who won a design competition organized by the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta,

Indonesia will formally join BRICS as a full member, Brazil’s government said on Monday (January 6), the Jakarta Post reported quoting news agencies. Brazil made the announcement as the current president of BRICS, a group of major emerging economies, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The Southeast Asian nation has joined BRICS, the China and Russia-led bloc seen as a counterweight to the West. But analysts doubt this will heighten concerns in Canberra or Washington.

Indonesia is bolstering its maritime security cooperation with Japan after the two countries held a bilateral meeting that reaffirmed their shared goal of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific amid rising tensions in the region.

Hegseth responded at the heated Senate confirmation hearing that he couldn’t tell Duckworth the exact number of ASEAN nations, but that “I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.”

President Biden and his team saw China as the one nation with the intent and capability to displace American primacy — and crafted policies to defend U.S. power.

Elizabeth Economy is Co-Director of the US, China, and the World Project and Hargrove Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. From 2021 to 2023, she was Senior Adviser for China at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She is the author of The World According to China.