Next steps in US–Indonesian relations
Author: Donald K. Emmerson, Stanford University
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was in Washington DC recently for his first-ever presidential visit to the United States. What can the two countries do now to build on the momentum for cooperation gained on the trip?
Indonesia has a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ with China, but a merely ‘comprehensive partnership’ with the United States. Jokowi’s visit did yield a constructive joint statement and a memorandum of understanding on maritime security cooperation between Indonesia and the United States. The agreement included provisions for US assistance to raise Indonesia’s capacity to manage its maritime domain.