MIDDLE POWER DIPLOMACY IN ASEAN TOWARD THE U.S.-CHINA BINARY. THE CASE OF INDONESIA
MIDDLE POWER DIPLOMACY IN ASEAN TOWARD THE U.S.-CHINA BINARY. THE CASE OF INDONESIA

Author(s): Maria-Mădălina BULANCIA
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, International relations/trade, Geopolitics
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: Indonezia; China; US; UNSC; trade; cooperation; regional tranzition; ASEAN; South-East Asia;
Summary/Abstract: This article examines how ASEAN middle powers – focusing on Indonesia – navigate the strategic competition between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America through their diplomatic actions. Using a qualitative and quantitative methodology, the article analyzes Indonesia's foreign policy strategy by inferring its positioning towards the two states by analyzing the behaviors associated with Indonesia's voting options in the UN Security Council, analyzing the memorandums, agreements and treaties concluded between Indonesia and the US on the one hand and Indonesia and China on the other during 2020-2024, as well as by analyzing and interpreting the available data collected on the volume of trade relations between the US, China and Indonesia, as well as between the US, China and ASEAN countries as a whole in the period between 2014-2023. The paper proposes an analysis of how Indonesia, as an ASEAN member state, asserts its influence and manages the dynamics between great powers, highlighting their role in shaping regional outcomes beyond simple US-China Manichaeism. This research provides insights into ASEAN's strategic autonomy and its impact on regional diplomacy.

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