From the mid 1950s, external affairs took primacy over domestic matters to such an extent that by early 1960s, they determined the course and contours of domestic politics, leading to the chain of cataclysmic events that ended with Sukarno's removal from the presidency.
In the first decade of independence, Sukarno had followed Nehru's lead in adopting a policy of non-alignment in international affairs.
In April 1995, Indonesia played host to the 29 nation Asian African Conference in Bandung, the first such bi-continental meeting of newly free people.
Taking advantage of China's new policy of peaceful existence beginning in1954, Sukarno opened negotiations with China on a dual nationality citizenship treaty to restore the status of more than 1.5 Chinese in Indonesia. The treaty was finally concluded and ratified in 1960 .