Jokowi, however, has no time for great-power politics. 43. The key to success is a dual strategy of bilateralengagement with Southeast Asian nations and multilateral engagement with ASEAN. Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with. Athletic, trim, and ears that you just want to grab as he goes down on your thick, uncut 3. Thin-skinned and vain, SBY had sought acclaim in the theatre of diplomacy. Values and interests are oftenin conflict but, if development cooperation is done carefully and thoughtfully, it is possible to walk and chew gum. 374 likes. Indeed, countries such as Australia and Japan have been pinning their hopes on Indonesia being part of a middle-power alliance that could balance the increasingly assertive China. Ben Bland is a local internet celebrity who shows us how to make a grand and flowery dinner table decoration. Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. Tom is over there, bending Jane's ear about Jokowis ad hoc leadership style exacerbates the weaknesses of Indonesian foreign policy. Jokowi duly unveiled this rather woolly concept in Naypyidaw, Myanmars bizarre and empty purpose-built capital, to an audience of world leaders, including Barack Obama, Dmitry Medvedev, Li Keqiang and Shinzo Abe. Development cooperation isa vital tool of statecraft for the UK and, even in the middle-income countries such asIndonesia and the Philippines, there is no shortage of problems that the UK can help totackle. But Jokowi, as the President is known, was struggling to comprehend the relevance of events beyond Indonesias own waters. / Twitter JavaScript is "Good to see you back in the big chair, behind the big black desk!" Ben Bland is a research fellow at the Lowy Institute and the author of Generation HK: Seeking Identity in Chinas Shadow and the forthcoming Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia. On the wider diplomatic stage, Jokowi was limited in his impact, by design. For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here. The Neoco Toolkit & Playbook is a collection of pathways to brighter business, built during lockdown by Ben Bland and partners. But to my mind, the clear message from Blands text is that optimists will be far more disappointed than the pessimists. Lowy Institute. There are no quick and easy wins when it comes to engaging with ASEAN, which can belaborious and bureaucratic, like many other regional and multilateral organisations. The adviser had stumbled upon an important lesson: if you want to understand Jokowi the politician, you must understand Jokowi the furniture maker. The last few years have brought historic challenges for multinational companies. benbland.substack.com. He is more interested in attracting financial assistanceand China has not disappointed as it is now financing many infrastructure projects. But behind this picture of Jokowi is also a troubling image of Indonesia, the worlds fourth most populous country, with the worlds largest Muslim population. I focused on Southeast Asia during myundergraduate History degree at the University of Cambridge and have an MA in SoutheastAsian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Jokowi has struggled to contain the virus this year. 27. Balancing national security and national prosperity a range of views and the call for a range of resources. Watch the full interview for insights on how industry thinks about deglobalization, the U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine, and much more. His decision was sparked by constant confusion between him and a former Financial Times journalist in Australia called Benjamin Bland, with Boulos often receiving messages intended for the other Mr Bland. Share this post. Extract from Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia by Ben Bland, a Lowy Institute Paper published by Penguin Random House on 1 September 2020, RRP $12.99. "Such a charmer Ben!" WebBen Bland. WebBen Bland paints an insightful and intriguing portrait of Indonesia's leader in his new book, Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the struggle to remake Indonesia. Overall, Jokowi, a one-time man of the people, is said to run the palace more as an imperial court than a chief executives office, and sees the military as a balancing force against his various political opponents. Jokowi, by contrast, disliked the formalities of diplomacy and public speaking. It was a genuine reflection of how he sees the world. He previously spent a decade as a correspondent for the Financial Times in Asia, with postings in Jakarta, Hanoi, and Hong Kong. But he was driven by evolving events, rather than seeking to control them. 36. What have we learned so fShow morear, and how can we apply those lessons to make sure we dont sleepwalk into yet another war? Indeed, Indonesias new experiment with democracy has, in many respects, been hijacked by the dark forces that held the country back before. another quipped. In 2015, Jokowi authorised the execution of more than a dozen drug traffickers, many of whom were foreign citizens, despite concerns about the impact on international relations. ", Naga couldnt resist popped her head in shot and exclaimed: "Its going to be so much fun! Beneath Malaysias political battles are older struggles. A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. He has cancelled several foreign trips at late notice because of domestic political difficulties and, when he does go overseas, he can be a temperamental traveller. The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute, Copyright 2023 22. Now outside the EU, the UK needs to find new markets for its goods and services andnew investment destinations. While foreign policy discussions about Southeast Asia are often dominated by securityexperts, most of the regions governments are focused on domestic development challenges. In Myanmar, the juntais struggling to govern the country, despite being in nominal control, and the spectre of anescalating multi-front conflict looms large. This can be done through development cooperation with local NGOs but also throughfacilitating connections between Indonesian NGOs and their counterparts in the region andbeyond. Ben shared key insights from researching and building Neoco over the last year. More information on Ben can be found here: http://benbland.me, FutureScreens NIOrmeau Baths18 Ormeau AveBelfast BT2 8HS. Jokowi, as the president is known, is a fascinating personality a man who leapt from being a furniture maker to city mayor (of Solo and Jakarta) and then on to lead Indonesia. Rather than just talking about the rules-based international order or competition with China, the UK needs to use Dialogue Partner status as an opportunity to be present in and helpfulto the region. Crisis of government adds to the burden of history and the challenge of nation-building. How does industry define morality? Ben was previously an award-winning correspondent for the Financial Times in Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Recently, he has shown a renewed enthusiasm for bilateral trade agreements, signing one with Australia in early 2020 after years of arduous negotiations. That meant, chiefly, no formal military or security alliances with other nations. Despite good relations between ASEAN member-states, domestic politics remain unstable incertain key countries and there are pockets of turbulence elsewhere. In the brief text, Jokowi sounds more like a furniture exporter than a disciple of Sukarno, Metternich or Kissinger, talking of the need to "boost quality Indonesian products, reduce our dependency on imports, create balance and expand the scope of export markets". Extract from Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia by Ben Bland, a Lowy Institute Paper published by Penguin Random House on 1 September 2020, RRP $12.99. Lastly, the FCDO needs to do more to help build a broader community of experts engaged inSoutheast Asia. The ASEAN Outlook on the IndoPacific, which was adopted in 2019, was little more than a restatement of ASEANs main principles: peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for international law and, most importantly, non-interference in other nations internal affairs. The UK should also use Dialogue Partner status as a platform to deepen its strategicconversations and practical cooperation with other Dialogue Partners that share Britainsobjectives and values, chiefly the US, Australia, Japan, South Korea, as well as the EU and itsmost influential members-states France and Germany. The UK has a broadlypositive reputation in Indonesia, which is a good starting point. Of late, we at FP have been wondering: What can Russias war in Ukraine teach the world going forward? There are few global leaders who have risen from obscurity as rapidly as Jokowi. He was also implicitly criticising the approach of his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who adopted a policy of "a thousand friends and no enemies" or "a million friends and no enemies", depending on how affable he was feeling. September 15 Ben's creative industry experience includes working with dozens of local startups, agencies and industry bodies. 21. Just days after the new President gave the maritime fulcrum speech, he divulged his real feelings about foreign policy on the flight back to Jakarta. The UK should put Indonesia at the heart of its intensified engagement with Southeast Asiabecause Indonesia is so important and the UK-Indonesia relationship has so much room togrow. The President took a similar scatter-gun approach to the maritime disputes that have increasingly troubled Indonesia. We are entirely unrelated but it is a recipe for confusion. Indonesia, sadly, is littleknown in the UK. She can't read an autocue, has no facial expressions, speaks in a monotone (obviously listens to Andy Murray a lot! Twitter. At the start of his second term, Jokowi appointed Mahendra Siregar, a respected diplomat and former finance official, as deputy foreign minister, with a specific focus on economic diplomacy. One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. He led operations at Belfast-based AI company Sensum for five years, and serves as Chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers P7014 working group to develop a global standard for the ethics of empathic technology. The FCDO should support more of these. Jokowi did mention the need for "maritime diplomacy" and international co-operation to reduce the risk of conflict in the South China Sea and beyond. I am the author of two acclaimed books on Asian politics, the most recent being Man ofContradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia (Penguin Random House,2020), the first English-language political biography of Indonesias president. Ben Bland on Twitter: "A personal update: after three great years at @LowyInstitute, I'm leaving next month to take up a new role as director of the Asia-Pacific programme at @ChathamHouse in London. Keep up with the world without stopping yours. Only one British university, my alma mater SOAS, offers advanced study ofthe Indonesian language. If Jokowi wants friends with benefits what economists would call mercantilism he has no real plan to win them over, beyond his personal charm and a rotating cast of supporting officials. 42. But in not failing, he succeeded. Delivered Wednesday. Join Facebook to connect with Ben Bland and others you may know. Watch FPs Ravi Agrawal in conversation with two of the contributors to the magazines cover story, Anne-Marie Slaughter and retired Gen. David Petraeus, as they reflect on whats surprised themand how to prevent future wars. | View Comments (). Blands book makes a major contribution to our understanding of Indonesia, as well as Jokowi, the main subject. WebView the profiles of professionals named "Ben Bland" on LinkedIn. European and Asian leaders began to call the IRA unfair competition and protectionist. Before joining the Lowy Institute,Benwas an award-winning foreign correspondent for theFinancial Times, with postings in Jakarta, Hanoi and Hong Kong and experience reporting across China and Southeast Asia over the previous decade. As Bland argues, the rise of Jokowi to the presidency of Indonesia is a testimony to the countrys democracy, and its free and fair elections. And what happens if the United States and China continue down a path of decoupling? As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 5. The British government should focus on economic cooperation with Indonesia,people-to-people links and support for civil society. Boulos explained that while he is proud of the British side of his family, having the surname Bland made people fairly assume he is as British as they come, and he felt like half of his identity was being masked. 8. Sep 17, 2021. Although he has taken Indonesia down a slightly more unilateral path, Jokowi is driven by instinct, whim and the winds of fortune. But he said: "I'm a bit concerned that my abuse-meter will rise now." Historically theUK has framed its Southeast Asian engagement around its former colonies: Malaysia,Singapore and Brunei. "For me 'free and active' is making friends with countries that can provide us with benefits," he said. Some ASEAN member-states remain sceptical about the UKs commitment to the region, soBritish ministers will need to maintain their recent pace of visits to Southeast Asia if theywant to be seen as more serious long-term partners. Stay informed with the latest commentary and analysis on international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and around the world. Bending over should not cause any ear pressure or pain. Indonesias notorious weakness in handling natural disasters and other crises has been evident through the Covid-19 pandemic. http://loopers.co/. With a deep-seated aversion to liberal economics, Indonesia will not wholeheartedly embrace free markets and free trade any time soon, Bland writes. Jokowi, pictured with Scott Morrison, has shown a renewed enthusiasm for bilateral trade agreements, signing one with Australia in early 2020 after years of arduous negotiations.Dominic Lorrimer. WebThe Bent Ears, Del Norte, Colorado. And what happens if the United States and China continue down a path of decoupling? 9. Both times he flew out to the Natuna Islands, near the disputed waters at the southern tip of the South China Sea, and asserted his willingness to defend Indonesian sovereignty. 41. As he concludes briefly, there are indeed limits on what is possible in Indonesia. The future of the internet will be shaped in countries likeIndonesia, which has some of the worlds most active social media users, and the internetwill also shape the future of Indonesia. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. They decided on the blandest name possible literally to ensure their survival. sia invaded Ukraine, and businesses around the world confronted a decision on whether to pull out of the Russian market. It is partly a function of Indonesias size, its strategic location in the midst of key global shipping lanes and its history of, at times, demonstrating leadership potential. It mostly consists of photographs of him glad-handing world leaders. People-to-people linksare the foundation stone of the most successful bilateral relationships. But, at the same time, he replaced Tom Lembong, an effective salesman for Indonesia in global financial markets, with a low-profile figure as the head of the investment promotion board. Most of the "five pillars" of the fulcrum were about domestic policy and the economy: promoting the fishing industry, building maritime infrastructure and defending Indonesias sovereignty at a time of intensifying territorial disputes. The lack of a concerted and comprehensive global and regional response to the pandemicalso bodes ill for another intractable collective action problem facing Southeast Asia: climatechange. Evening roundup with our editors favorite stories of the day. Delivered Wednesday & Sunday. But the concept was not fleshed out. It is ironic that Jokowi, a leader who prides himself in being responsive to the concerns of the public, has not done more to improve the countrys health system.