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By Prashanth Parameswaran
Jokowi’s recent comments need to be put in perspective.
Earlier this week, a number of news outlets reported that Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had said that part of China’s claims to almost the entire the South China Sea has no legal basis, and that Jakarta wants to remain “an honest broker” in the disputes there.
This was perceived among some to be the first time Jokowi had taken a position on the issue since taking office last October, which was significant because he said so on a visit to Japan and right before a trip to China. It might also contribute to the perception that Indonesia’s approach to the South China Sea issue has changed, however slightly, under Jokowi.
“The ‘nine-dashed line’ that China says marks its maritime border has no basis in any international law,” Jokowi reportedly said in a Japanese version of an interview with the Yomiuri newspaper.
Subsequently, Jokowi as well as other Indonesian officials and advisers were quick to clarify the remarks and dismiss the fact that any change had occurred. Rizal Sukma, a renowned scholar and now Jokowi’s foreign policy adviser, told Reuters that Jokowi was speaking only about China’s nine-dash line, rather than Beijing’s overall claim on the South China Sea. He also added that nothing had changed since Indonesia has made its official stance clear before.
Jokowi himself also later clarified that he was speaking only about the nine-dash line at a press conference in Japan. He also said that by suggesting Indonesia play a role of “honest broker”, he meant that Jakarta was ready to be a mediator “if it is necessary,” and that Indonesia was not siding with any party involved in the dispute. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also emphasized that “Indonesia has no overlapping claim whatsoever with China.”
Why is this all so complicated?
Read the full story at The Diplomat