US, Indonesia to conclude joint peacekeeping drills
Joint US-Indonesian-hosted multinational exercises held at Indonesia’s peacekeeping training center in Bogor, West Java conclude today.
The two-week military drills included 1000 personnel from around the globe, the largest annual peacekeeping exercises of their kind.
These exercises reflect increasing US-Indonesian military cooperation amid continuing tension in the South China Sea. This cooperation includes the annual Garuda Shield exercises, beginning tomorrow. Likely the largest US-Indonesian hosted military exercises to date, 14 nations will participate. The notable absence at both invite-only exercises is China.
Although Jakarta attempts to maintain a neural stance in US-China disputes in the region, Indonesia clearly chafes at Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea because they include waters inside the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Expect these exercises to set the ground for further US defense deals with Indonesia as Indonesia’s military rapidly modernizes while also sending Beijing a message that Jakarta is committed to defending its territorial claims in the South China Sea. However, China is unlikely to be concerned by Indonesia’s military moves. The recent $3 billion Chinese investment in Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund—which is used by Jakarta to fund economic development projects—indicates Beijing’s medium-term preference to manage relations through economic muscle.
