Geopolitics is a concept that links geography to contemporary politics. Even though it focuses on geography and appears objective, its use is actually strongly influenced by social perspectives. This article uses qualitative methods to show that the “Indo-Pacific” concept that is currently being discussed is actually the result of geopolitical views made by certain countries that have interests in the region.
Competition for control of this region occurs between several countries such as the United States, China, India, Australia and Japan. Indonesia, as a strategic part of the Indo-Pacific region, is trying to create a geopolitical concept that encourages cooperation and harmony, not just competition as is the case in the Asia-Pacific. Through ASEAN, Indonesia seeks to promote the idea of an open, free and inclusive Indo-Pacific in international forums.
After Barack Obama no longer served as President of the United States, there was a change in US foreign policy under the leadership of Donald Trump from an “Asia-Pacific” focus to an “Indo-Pacific”. Trump’s policy is actually a development and change from the “Asia-Pacific rebalancing” strategy implemented previously.
Viewed from a geopolitical perspective, this change from the “Asia-Pacific” focus under Obama (Glosserman, 2016) to the “Indo-Pacific” under Trump occurred because the US felt an increasing challenge from China.
The US is determined to maintain global dominance by increasing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and increasing strategic cooperation with its key partners: Japan, Australia, and India (Saeed, 2017). The US focus on India is also influenced by the fact that India in recent years has become a leader among developing countries (Chen, 2018).
Indonesia is aware of the important impact of shifting the focus of global economic and geopolitical attention. Strategically, this country is in a vital position in global geopolitics and is the main route for trade and energy in its region.
By controlling four strategic maritime areas such as the Malacca Strait, Lombok Strait, Sunda Strait and Ombai Strait, Indonesia has great potential to become a key element in the Indo-Pacific strategy because as an archipelagic country, Indonesia can provide wider access.
Countries from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean are advised to work together in monitoring shipping lanes in the region. This is especially important given the Chinese Navy’s increased aggressive activity in the last decade.
Indonesia believes that it is important to develop the Indo-Pacific concept through ASEAN in order to maintain ASEAN’s central role and make the region a cooperative, inclusive, open, transparent environment and in accordance with international law. This is very relevant for Indonesia in maintaining ASEAN’s central role and relevance as the Indo-Pacific axis.
Mateusz Ambrozek (2017) states that geopolitics does not operate in a vacuum, but is influenced by the addition or subtraction of factors that are relevant for a particular country.
Thus, geopolitical dynamics in a region are the result of construction carried out by countries in that region. For example, in an article entitled “The North Natuna Sea Renamed as Geopolitics of Indonesia in Natuna,” Yugolastarob Komeini et al show how Indonesia used the change in the name of the sea area to the north of the Natuna Islands as a step in responding to claims made by China to the South China Sea area. (Situmeang & Fadra., 2018) tries to re-implement this strategy, which Indonesia is also involved in to shape the geopolitical structure in the region. This is done through efforts to build and expand Indo-Pacific ideas that are in line with national needs, while upholding the values and norms that ASEAN has implemented in the region.
Indonesia has taken concrete steps by introducing and promoting Indo-Pacific ideas in multilateral forums through participation in ASEAN. At the 8th East Asia Summit in Singapore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno, explained to 10 ASEAN countries and 8 ASEAN partner countries (China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, India, New Zealand, Russia and the United States) that Indonesia encourages 3 important aspects to achieve peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, namely cooperation in the maritime sector, connectivity and sustainable development. Although Indonesia’s version of the Indo-Pacific concept has been presented previously, the current EAS meeting highlights this vision in its entirety with an emphasis on ASEAN interests, which has received broad support from the countries present at the EAS.
The Indo-Pacific concept initiated by Indonesia has become a very important basis for economic cooperation. This is because the Indo-Pacific region is recognized as the region with the most dynamic economic growth in the world (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, 2018a). One of Indonesia’s first steps in developing geopolitics in the region was collaboration with New Zealand in drafting the EAS Summit Leader’s Statement on Combating Plastic Waste in the Sea which was then approved at the EAS Summit in November 2018 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, 2018a). Indonesia realizes that the geopolitical situation there brings major challenges to peace, stability, the environment and prosperity of countries in the region. Therefore, cooperation between countries is a necessity to face these challenges. Indonesia also notes that if the foundations of the Indo-Pacific are not firmly established, countries along the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean risk becoming the center of attraction between global powers.
Therefore, Indonesia seeks to encourage the development of a geopolitical structure in the Indo-Pacific region with principles such as transparency, openness, inclusion, cooperation and respect for international law. This is important to maintain ASEAN’s leading role which has long promoted these values.
Thus, ASEAN has the potential to lead in this new region. Within the framework of constructivism in geopolitics, we realize that the way we understand the world of geopolitics is very dependent on the definitions we use. Through this approach, Indonesia actively introduces its ideas about the Indo-Pacific in multilateral forums, because according to constructivism, these rhetorical actions will form a new regional geopolitical framework influenced by social norms and constructions.
In the 2018 Annual Press Statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, a number of strategic steps were taken by Indonesia in establishing a regional framework in the Indo-Pacific region (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, 2018b).
First, is to increase multilateralism partnerships to respect international law (Partnership must be strengthened to prevent the mighty takes all). Second, promoting the spirit of co-opetition (cooperative competition), namely the spirit of working together amidst global competition in order to achieve optimal results.
Third, expanding the ecosystem of peace, stability and prosperity not only in ASEAN but also in the Indo-Pacific region as a whole, with Indonesia and ASEAN playing a key role in creating this regional framework. Fourth, Indonesia builds Indo-Pacific cooperation to strengthen mutual trust and mutual benefits, as well as expand the habit of dialogue in regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Lastly, Indonesia is trying to develop the Indo-Pacific using a building blocks approach, namely:
- Strengthen cooperation between countries around the Indo-Pacific region in strategic fields such as security, maritime, trade and investment, both between two countries and many countries.
- Encourage increased cooperation in IORA in accordance with the Jakarta Concord agreement and the 2017 — 2021 Action Plan, to create new growth centers that support peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean.
- Link bilateral collaboration, multilateral and cooperative structures in the Indian Ocean with ASEAN-led mechanisms to build stronger connections.
- All the steps taken by Indonesia to prioritize ASEAN’s role in Indo-Pacific geopolitics stem from the importance of ASEAN values in Indonesian foreign policy. Indo-Pacific construction is also a means for Indonesia to overcome the shortcomings that have existed in ASEAN, especially regarding divisions in dealing with China.
By building the Indo-Pacific concept, Indonesia seeks to unite ASEAN and gather support from other regional powers to face global challenges, including the rise of China, its aggressive actions in the region, and the potential for protectionism in the Indo-Pacific region.
Source: Kompasiana