Indonesia’s foreign policy has taken a more assertive and dynamic turn under the stewardship of President Prabowo Sugianto. While the bebas aktif ideology remains the guiding force behind Indonesia’s actions on the global stage, the former general’s interpretation of the concept is more practical, flexible, and nationalistic in its orientation. Prabowo’s foreign policy is more visible, more ambitious, and certainly more unpredictable than what the country has experienced under his predecessors. Whether this newly acquired global prominence can translate into genuine ascendancy, or whether it will bring greater risks to the archipelago, depends on the quality of the strategies and tactics that Prabowo and his team conjure up.

From the early days of his presidency, Prabowo was determined to ensure that Indonesia was no longer simply a spectator in global affairs. His diplomatic journeys to China, the US, Russia, Turkey and Egypt signalled to the world that, under his leadership, Indonesia would be a major player that superpowers cannot afford to ignore.

In terms of foreign policy, Prabowo is keen to make sure that it could help expedite investment, industrialization and the downstreaming of natural resources. For this to be meaningful, however, Indonesia’s vast supplies of nickel, bauxite and rare earths will need to be courted by investors from old industrial powers as well as from emerging ones. In line with Prabowo’s economic nationalism, he is not interested in simply exporting raw and semi-processed materials for others to manufacture into finished goods. Rather, he wants to cultivate foreign investment to develop industries in which Indonesia has a competitive edge. Part of the diplomacy will be to seek out technology transfers and aid for critical infrastructure such as........

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