Indonesia Pushes for ASEAN-China Partnership to Foster Regional Peace and Stability

Indonesia is strongly encouraging the strengthening of the ASEAN-China partnership to maintain regional peace and stability amidst escalating global rivalry and uncertainty. Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono conveyed this stance at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC) with China in Manila. During the meeting, Minister Sugiono highlighted the significant trade volume between ASEAN and China in 2024, which reached 772.4 billion US dollars, approximately Rp. 13,838,318,400,000,000. Beyond enhancing trade by optimizing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0, Indonesia believes the ASEAN-China partnership can also serve to protect the region. "Indonesia encourages the ASEAN-China partnership to be able to protect the region from the impact of global uncertainty," stated the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Sugiono further emphasized that ASEAN Centrality should remain the foundation of regional stability, with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) serving as a guideline for inclusive, transparent, and rule-based cooperation. This approach is deemed particularly crucial for maritime cooperation. Minister Sugiono pointed out that the region's waters are vital trade routes, facilitate people-to-people connectivity, and are essential for energy and food security. In this regard, Indonesia reiterated its call for the effective and substantive completion of the Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea within this year, based on international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. "Areas regulated by law will always be stronger than areas regulated by force," Minister Sugiono explained, adding that the rules for the sea, which people have awaited for 24 years, should not be delayed any further. A robust CoC will demonstrate the region's capacity to maintain stability and shape its own future. Therefore, the ASEAN-China partnership should not only be a driver of economic growth but also a pillar of regional peace.