Beijing's Indonesia Strategy

摘要

THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA (CPC) is moving awkwardly to overcome differences with Indonesia, in order to split Jakarta strategically from its ASEAN allies, Australia, and Jakarta's new ally, India. Beijing chose not to escalate unresolved PRC claims to Indonesian waters in the North Natuna Sea (the southernmost region of the South China Sea), a problem which had escalated into a military stand-off between Indonesian and PRC military and Coast Guard assets in January 2020.