Australia, US, Indonesia relations

By Professor Stephen Smith

In the coming decades, Australia’s biggest challenge is to maintain its prosperity as a developed economy and democracy. Emerging powers, such as Indonesia and India, and their direct foreign investment will be essential to Australia’s future prosperity. Australia must cultivate mutual partnerships and explore new opportunities to get Indonesia to ‘look South’. In the face of a Trump presidency, the Indo-Pacific has been thrust in an era of uncertainty. Australia, however, must remain calm and engage the U.S. and our regional partners. So what can Australia do to pursue the opportunities in Indonesia through this era of uncertainty? This publication, based on a speech presented by Professor Stephen Smith, clearly outlines 10 key issues that Australia could usefully pursue with Indonesia.

Professor Stephen Smith, a Distinguished Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre, produced this report as part of the Indonesia Working Group program.