India and Indonesia: Their Relations with the US, China and Each Other

The complex set of relationships explored in this paper show variations in approach from and to the larger powers, affected to some extent by geography and history. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States was more substantial than Indonesia’s under President Joko Widodo, who has yet to become an established international actor in his own right. China, on the other hand, has put in place development projects that surround India, disrupt or inhibit India’s relations with its South Asian neighbours and maintain border tensions. India’s long distrust of China is thus left unresolved, but some co-operation is in place. Indonesia, however, with an already strong relationship with China inherited from former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), has invited new Chinese investments at two visits to the Middle Kingdom by Widodo in his first year of government. India’s and Indonesia’s lacklustre bilateral relationship remains little changed despite high-level visits between the two countries. Arguably, their relationship gains validity from shared aspects of their wider relationships with the United States and China.