Australia Deepens Indonesia Defense Ties Over China Security Anxiety

Australia is deepening its defense ties with Indonesia amid security concerns over China's military expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles highlighted that geographic proximity and strategic considerations have driven closer cooperation, including joint military drills and enhanced maritime domain awareness. Meanwhile, Indonesia faces economic challenges from a growing trade deficit with China, fueled by a surge in Chinese imports redirected from Western markets due to tariffs, which strains Indonesian manufacturing sectors. Despite these economic imbalances, Indonesia-China relations remain significant, marked by the Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that has nearly tripled bilateral trade since 2013 and fosters cooperation in infrastructure, digital technology, and human development. Indonesia also seeks to strengthen economic cooperation and investment with other Southeast Asian nations, such as Cambodia, to diversify its economic partnerships. These developments reflect Indonesia's complex balancing act between managing China’s economic influence and maintaining regional security alliances with partners like Australia and the United States.