The three recently formalized agreements between Indonesia and Singapore – namely the Extradition Treaty (ET), the Flight Information Region (FIR) and the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) – would leave Indonesia on the shorter end of the stick.
Diplomacy
Should Indonesia accept China’s invitation to join BRICS? Recent data shows that such membership might not be necessary to assist Indonesia in facing economic shocks.
All relevant powers have adopted the term “Indo-Pacific” in their foreign policy strategy except for China, which continues to view it with suspicion. It would be more beneficial and productive for China and everyone else if the Middle Kingdom were to adopt the concept as well.
Indonesia’s relatively successful vaccine diplomacy can be attributed to its effective use of soft power through leveraging on its international engagement capabilities.