- "By being 1 of our closest neighbours, good relations between Australia and Indonesia are crucial to the safety and prosperity of our nation." These words came from Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
- On 20 August, Indonesia and Australia concluded negotiations on the conclusion of an agreement on defence cooperation, and on 29 August signed the draft and announced joint military exercises.
- The agreement was signed in the face of the increasing activity of China in the Pacific and South China Sea and the resulting risks to both countries.
Signature of the Pact
On August 20, Indonesia and Australia developed the final version of the defence cooperation agreement, and 9 days later it was signed by President-elect of Indonesia and current Minister of National Defence Prabowo Subianto and Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Richard Marles. As both authorities announced, this agreement reaches the level of the Treaty under which both parties have decided to cooperate in the fields of maritime security, combating terrorism, the effects of natural and humanitarian disasters.[1] Furthermore, Jakarta and Canberra agreed to deploy their troops in the territory of the another country for training purposes. Both sides will besides cooperate in developing fresh military technologies. On Thursday, the authorities of both states announced the carrying out of the largest joint military exercises in their common past under the code name Keris Woomer in November that year. The maneuvers will take place on land, water, air and cyberspace. 2 1000 soldiers will participate and the latest equipment will be tested. Richard Marles announced that this would be Australia's largest military exercise this year with another country. Prabowo Subianto, on the another hand, said that the agreement will aid to combat threats together and will contribute to stableness and safety in the Asia-Pacific region.[2]
Motivation of Australia
Australia, despite its seemingly isolated geographical location, has for respective years begun to importantly make its safety policy by seeking fresh allies and raising defence spending. The reason for this is the increasing power of China in the region, which seeks to extend its sphere of influence to the confederate Pacific. Due to the unfit conditions within the state, Australia had to place all urban centres and factories close the coast, which means that it does not have a land-based strategical depth that would defend critical infrastructure in the event of a possible conflict. The surrounding waters and good relations with their countries are so crucial to its defence. However, China has begun to share increasingly on islands east of Australia. Beijing increases investment in these countries to amounts that are already reaching billions of dollars, builds roads, ports, offers joint military exercises, trainings, and in pandemic times provided medical assistance.
The relations between the mediate and the Solomon Islands, which have always worked with the West and are a associate of the Commonwealth of Nations to advance democracy and peace, are peculiarly worrying for Canberra. These islands broke their relation with Taiwan in 2019 and began to intensify their cooperation with the PRC.
The breakthrough was in 2022 erstwhile both states signed a secret safety agreement whereby Beijing was permitted to deploy its patrols to the Solomon Islands and dock ships in ports. A year later, the mediate State began training its armed forces on the islands, and in July of that year announced budget support for Honiar of $20 billion. [3] Another island, Vanuatu besides opened up to Chinese investments, agreeing, among another things, to Beijing's expansion of its airport and to China's side on the South China Sea dispute. Moreover, the mediate State besides builds good relations with Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati.[4] Faced with expanding antagonisms in the region, Australia began to search support in countries north of it and in the United States. In September 2021, she signed the AUKUS agreement, under which she began working with London and Washington to make innovative military technologies. A fewer months later, she concluded an agreement with Japan resulting in the armed forces of both of these countries beginning to cooperate. It is besides part of the QUAD format, which includes the United States, Japan and India. This group seeks to guarantee that maritime routes stay open and limit Chinese influence in the region. In addition, Australia signed a bilateral safety agreement with Papua fresh Guinea last December.
This time, Canberra decided to strengthen the safety of her country by starting military cooperation with Indonesia. This country is its largest neighbour and separates it from the South China Sea. Indonesia's economy has been increasing rapidly for 20 years and is estimated to be 5th in GDP by 2030. Jakarta aspires to be a leader among ASEAN countries and is increasingly active in the region. In addition, its waters undergo crucial trade routes, which Japan and South Korea import oil, which after refining goes to Australia. Through cooperation with Indonesia, Canberra will increase safety in the waters around the continent from the north, will have the chance to strengthen its army and safe its economical interests.
Motivation of Indonesia
Indonesia is simply a country that, in the face of Chinese-American rivalry in the region, strives to stay neutral without entering into conflict with any of the powers. However, China's fresh aggressive action in the South China Sea has upset the authorities in Jakarta and has motivated them to search allies and strengthen their northernmost islands. The repeated incursions of China into Indonesia's exclusive economical region have translated into the construction of its bases on the islands of Natuna, which are partially included in the line of claims drawn out by the Central State at sea.[5]
Indonesia is 1 of 3 countries that control the free movement of ships through the Malakka Strait, through which the most crucial supply chains in the region pass.
In the event of an escalation of the conflict in the South China Sea for reasons of security, this strait will should be closed and the ships will be diverted to a way that runs around Indonesia from the south, which will extend transportation times and increase product costs. Faced with the gross consequences for the region resulting from this situation, the states in it begin to establish alliances and search safety partners. Australia for Indonesia was 1 of the first countries to advocate its independence. Today, both countries have good relations sealed in 2020 with the establishment of an economical partnership. Due to its geographical location and dependence on the seas and oceans on supply, it is in their common interest to have a strong army capable of defending and fighting effectively on water. The fresh president of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, who will take the position in October of this year, will most likely proceed his predecessor's abroad policy to date, however, due to his more firm character and aspirations to bring his state into regional power status, this policy may be more active and assertive. China is simply a crucial trading partner for Indonesia, which accounts for about 30% of the country's full imports, which makes an alliance with the United States at the minute a political suicide. Therefore, the fresh president will most likely search to strengthen relations with another ASEAN members and countries specified as South Korea, Japan or Australia.[6]
Conclusions and perspectives
The signing of a defence cooperation agreement between Australia and Indonesia is simply a milestone in their bilateral relations. It will let both countries to train modern armies operating at sea and translate into increased safety in the region.
However, it should be remembered that, as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Australia, Richard Marles stressed, this agreement guarantees the cooperation of both countries in the field of security, but it is not an alliance, and so does not oblige either organization to assist itself in the event of an assault on 1 of them.
Australia will most likely proceed to strengthen the network of bilateral safety agreements in order to guarantee the protection of its territory and interests, which will let it to deploy troops in the territories of the countries on the surrounding assessments and seas, and to allocate expanding amounts to defence, which would scope 2.3% in relation to GDP by 2033. Instead, Indonesia is expected to strengthen its military relations with another ASEAN countries while aiming for economical improvement that would increase its economical independence.
Bibliography
[1] Ministry of Defence of Australia https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2024-08-29/Australia-indonesia-defence-cooperation-agreement-signed, [accessed: 31.08.2024]
[2] T. Dianti, A. Syamsudin, E. Widianto, Australia is simply a hold largest -ever joint military exercise, https://www.rfa.org/english/news/southchinasea/australia-indonesia-military-exercise-08-292024150618.html, [accessed:31.09.2024]
[3] M.M., China will donate millions of dollars to tiny islands in the Pacifichttps://businessinsider.com.pl/news/chiny-transmit-millions-dol-malenkim-en-pacify/twp0t2q [accessed: 31.08.2024]
[4] R. Czulda, Competition in the confederate Pacifichttps://zbiam.pl/articles/rivalization-in-the-south-Pacific area/ [accessed: 31.08.2024]
[5] F.K. Chang, Indonesia's fresh military bases in the South China Sea. Preparing for love.https://www.fpri.org/article/2024/07/indonesias-new-military-bases-in-the-south-china-sea-preparing-for-friction/ [accessed:01.09.2024]
[6] The president Presidential elections in Indonesia. Continuation in a fresh style.https://www.pism.pl/publications/presidential elections-in-indonesia-continuation-in-new-style, [accessed: 01.09.2024]
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