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. He wrote: Changing my name is something I have thought about before, on-and-off, for another reason: my name hides aspects of my identity that are important to me but not immediately obvious to others. Ben has a twenty-year career split between London and Belfast, working within agencies, small-to-medium size businesses, NGOs, and as a freelancer. Indeed, rather than rising to the challenge Jokowi has struggled under the immense pressure. Put Southeast Asia at the centre of the UKs Indo-Pacific Tilt. 11. But as I reached the end, I was yearning for more of his views on what could happen next in the Indonesia story. My first book,Generation HK: Seeking Identity in Chinas Shadow (Penguin Random House, 2017), was astudy of the young Hong Kongers pushing back against Beijings pressures on the city. 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. 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. I have a longstanding interest in Indonesia, having lived inJakarta, studied Indonesian and built relationships with key players across the political andbusiness communities. Delivered Friday. And what happens if the United States and China continue down a path of decoupling? personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, 374 likes. His responses were ineffective, targeted at maximising media attention rather than achieving concrete results. Early in Joko Widodos presidency, Chinas assertive behaviour in the South China Sea presented him with one of his first major foreign policy challenges. 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. ", Sports presenter Mike Bushell was also quick to welcome Ben to his new job, writing on Twitter: "Welcome @BenMBoulos and impressive video multi-skilling!". I am also anactive participant in Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues with Southeast Asian counterparts. Government-to-government partnerships can only get nations so far. He is interested in attracting investment from whomever has the most cash and the fewest conditions. 13. 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. Beijing was inflaming tensions by building artificial islands and military installations in waters claimed by several of Indonesias south-east Asian neighbours. It was a genuine reflection of how he sees the world. While ASEAN is often seen by outsiders as a forum for tackling geopolitical challenges,Southeast Asian governments are much more focused on domestic problems and howASEAN can help them resolve these. Biographers often try to paint psychological pictures of leaders based on their time in office. Why do Western governments, from Washington to Canberra, maintain such high expectations for Indonesia to play a bigger, more constructive role in the world? 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. Lastly, the FCDO needs to do more to help build a broader community of experts engaged inSoutheast Asia. 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. Am a bit concerned that my abuse meter will rise now though.. Governments, parliamentarians, businesses, universities andothers in both countries will have to work together to increase awareness about Indonesia inthe UK and foster a better mutual understanding. Delivered Wednesday. another quipped. 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. Written evidence by Ben Bland, Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, was submitted to the United Kingdom Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee in September 2021 and has recently been published. This would bea great channel to deepen the strategic and practical conversations between the twocountries. We are the Bent Ears! 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. It mostly consists of photographs of him glad-handing world leaders. At the Lowy Institute, he also wrote analysis papers examining the state of Indonesian democracy and the potential for the Australia-India-Indonesia trilateral relationship, among other research projects. 38. It was an incredible turnaround for a simple boy from a simple family, in a country where politics has long been dominated by dynasties, tycoons and the military. Ben Bland is the director of the Southeast Asia program at the Lowy Institute. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Bland quotes former Indonesian Finance Minister Chatib Basri, who once told him: Indonesia always disappoints. Southeast Asian politics and foreign policy; South China Sea; regional economic trends; China-ASEAN relations; Indonesia; Malaysia; Vietnam; Hong Kong, Southeast Asia is the geographic and geopolitical heart of the Indo-Pacific, Making the most of ASEAN Dialogue Partner status, Boosting the FCDOs Southeast Asia expertise, The UK needs a renewed focus on Indonesia, Shifting waters: Chinas new passive assertiveness in Asian maritime security. A fluent English speaker, he was genuinely interested in trying to make Indonesia influential on the global stage, assisted by his eloquent and high-profile foreign ministers, Marty Natalegawa and Hassan Wirajuda. For these reasons, andmore, the UK should make strengthened relations with Indonesia a priority. We do not look too dissimilar, we both cover global news, we are of a similar age, and both studied at Cambridge University at the same time. General enquiries contact: Finance enquiries contact: Future Foundation enquiries contact: Levi Hanes Deirdre MacFadyen Aileen Carson, Email: l.hanes@ulster.ac.uk Email: de.macfadyen@ulster.ac.uk Email: FutureScreensNI@qub.ac.uk, Highlights from Creative Industries Clusters Programme April 2021 Newsletter, Future Screens NI Host Policy Roundtable with the DUP, Future Tuesdays presents Neoco: Tools & Patterns for Progressive Operations with Ben Bland 11th of May 2021. In Myanmar, the juntais struggling to govern the country, despite being in nominal control, and the spectre of anescalating multi-front conflict looms large. It was a name chosen for that reason at that time and it served its purpose well. It took only a short while, however, for complaints to emerge. 33. Officials from other south-east Asian nations have subsequently noted that, under Jokowis leadership, Indonesia has taken a less active role in regional forums. Rather, it should focus on specific issuesand geographic areas in order to make the most of finite diplomatic, development andmilitary resources. The Lowy Institute acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which the Institute stands, and pays respects to their elders, past and present. The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute, Copyright 2023 bend ear phrase. As the path to the Indonesian presidency had opened in 2013 and 2014, Jokowi showed little interest in foreign policy beyond a knack for charming the international correspondents and investors that he believed could boost his image and promote economic growth. But the concept was not fleshed out. An interesting regional precedent is set by the decision to stop the junta leader attending upcoming summit meetings. Jokowis foreign policy has always been unpredictable, seesawing between nationalism and globalism. FPs Winter 2023 print issue brings together 12 experts to help us answer those questions. 42. WebHe is the author of Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia (Penguin Random House, 2020), the first English language political biography Lowy Institute, Screen time in Palu, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia (Basri Marzuki/NurPhoto via Getty Images). Watch the full interview for insights on how industry thinks about deglobalization, the U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine, and much more. The President took a similar scatter-gun approach to the maritime disputes that have increasingly troubled Indonesia. It raises the question: How do companies with large global footprints decide which side to pick? Sometimes he gels with his counterparts and ignores his formal talking points, and at other times he reads out speeches in robotic fashion. Delivered Thursday. 29. Surely that should humble us a bit?, The long shadow of Iraq and its lessons today, Butts the changing shape of beauty standards. The UK will get more out of Dialogue Partner status if ituses it to help the region tackle such issues, including pandemic recovery, boostingeconomic growth and mitigating climate change. 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". Helping them solve these will boost prosperity and stability across the region, as well asboosting the UKs reputation. Analysis: The key to success is a dual strategy of bilateralengagement with Southeast Asian nations and multilateral engagement with ASEAN. 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. 37. For booking a gig, We are the Bent Ears! sia invaded Ukraine, and businesses around the world confronted a decision on whether to pull out of the Russian market. Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Language, diplomacy and law (in lockdown) The UK's Indo-Pacific Tilt, mutual (mis)understanding between Australia and Indonesia, and what Franz Kafka tells us about Hong Kong's legal system.
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