Analysis On The Role Of Indonesian Joko Government In The South China Sea

Since Joko took office in 2014,the government gradually has transferred its national strategic center from land to the ocean,focusing on developing its marine economy.Putting forward the strategic concept of "world ocean axis",Indonesia aims to recover its glory as a maritime power by building "the sea highway".Under such a circumstance,Indonesia exerts greater impact on Southeast Asia thanks to its interactive identities of regional power,medium power as well as maritime power.In terms of the South China Sea area,Indonesia,on the one hand,acts as an intermediary or mediator,making efforts to mediate disputes in the South China Sea and reinforce the mutual trust and cooperation among relevant states so as to improve its regional influence and further solidify its role as a leader in ASEAN;on the other hand,Indonesia is also a "potential counterbalance maker".To be more specific,by luring and introducing powers outside the region,Indonesia devotes itself to balancing regional powers.Benefiting from dealing with China’s active and confident South China Sea policy,Indonesia also strengthens its leadership in ASEAN.Reasons behind the multiple roles of Indonesia in the South China Sea region are its diplomacy tradition of neutralism and diversified interest demands in the South China Sea,which reflects two connotations of the South China Sea policy with regard to regional cooperation and national interest.One is to set up a dialogue platform to strengthen the mutual trust and cooperation among relevant states,which relatively eases tensions in the South China Sea;the other is to make the South China Sea dispute further complicated and international by introducing powers outside the region.When it comes to multiple roles of Indonesia in the South China Sea,China should establish strategic mutual trust and cooperation with ASEAN countries by making full use of Indonesia’s special role and regional influence in the South China Sea.Communication and cooperation should also be promoted in numerous fields such as politics,economy,security,etc.for the purpose of consolidating China-Indonesia strategic partnership and settling the South China Sea dispute in a peaceful way.