In a jolt to the US, Indonesia’s military commander has denied making any joint remarks with his US counterpart on a visit to Washington last week after the Pentagon issued a “joint” press statement blaming Moscow and Beijing.
In a press conference on Thursday, August 31, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto stated that the US statement fails to reflect the nation’s positions and that Indonesia prefers friendly relationships with both Russia and China.
“There is no joint statement and no press conference. What is important for me to underline is that our relationship with China is very good. We respect each other, we already have a mutual understanding. I conveyed that in the US. We are close friends with China, we respect America, and we seek friendship with Russia,” Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto was quoted as saying.
The official went on to say that he plans to visit Beijing and Moscow in the future months and that he thinks Jakarta can act as a “bridge” between competing powers.
The Pentagon statement titled ‘United States DoD and Indonesia MoD Joint Press Statement’ and issued on August 24, says something else entirely. According to the report, both the United States and Indonesia “shared the view that the People’s Republic of China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with international law.” It also “jointly” condemned Moscow’s activities in Ukraine, calling for a “complete and unconditional withdrawal” of the Russian military.
Despite noting Subianto’s discussions with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, Indonesia’s Defence Ministry made no mention of a joint statement with Washington and made no comments concerning Russia or China.
Meanwhile, Beijing also reacted quickly to the American statement, stating that the words had not been approved in advance by Indonesian officials. “We’re informed by the Indonesian side that what the US side described is not true. In fact, no such content can be found in the press release by the Indonesian side at the same meeting,” the Chinese embassy in Jakarta said and further slammed US efforts to create dissension and cause unrest.
During Subianto’s visit to the United States on August 24, the two countries agreed to strengthen military cooperation, including joint war drills and further US arms sales. The Pentagon also stated that it would assist Jakarta’s military modernization efforts, proposing “fighter aircraft upgrades, new multi-role fighter aircraft, and additional fixed and rotary wing transport aircraft,” among other things.
Last week, Indonesian officials announced an agreement with US arms company Lockheed Martin to purchase 24 Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk transport helicopters, just after negotiating a huge contract with Boeing for two dozen F-15 fighter fighters. Jakarta is attempting to modernise its air fleet, which now uses systems from multiple countries, including US and Russian fighter jets.
