Indonesia is bulking up its defence regardless. In January, when Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited Jakarta, it was announced that Japan would give Indonesia two high-speed patrol boats and boost regional maritime security cooperation.
In 2023, the Indonesian military was the only one from ASEAN that participated in a two-week training exercise between Australia and the US. Experts have pointed out that these war games, called Talisman Sabre, are designed with China in mind.
It is a balancing act, however, for Indonesia: Jakarta and Beijing have plans for joint military exercises this year.
Indonesia sees the two sides of the coin, according to Mari. “We do see…