Circumventing the law to create links

Japan and Indonesia have taken a very important step in promoting bilateral cooperation in general, and cooperation in the military , defense, and security fields in particular, with an agreement to resume negotiations on Japan's transfer of defense technology, especially in the construction of modern warships, to Indonesia.

This information was released during the recent visit of Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto

In fact, negotiations began when Joko Widodo was President of Indonesia and current President Prabowo Subianto was then Minister of Defense – but virtually no progress was made. Before officially taking office, Subianto made his first visits to China and Japan, implicitly prioritizing foreign policy with these two partners. China and Japan are not allies, so it's clear that Subianto intentionally sought to build cooperative relationships with all partners and balance conflicting ones. He advocated for promoting cooperation with China while simultaneously counterbalancing China. He strived to strengthen relations with Japan and the United States to counterbalance China, creating a balance and preventing China from forcing Indonesia into a position where it had to choose sides. The resumption of negotiations with Japan on defense technology transfer served these strategic calculations.

For the Japanese government , transferring defense technology to Indonesia is a way to circumvent current regulations prohibiting the export of finished products from the Japanese defense industry. Instead of exporting finished products manufactured in Japan to Indonesia, the finished products will now be manufactured in Indonesia. Both sides benefit, potentially using this as a glue for bilateral ties and providing each side with additional diplomatic leverage in managing relations with partners who are both cooperating and acting defensively.

The Southeast Asian country Indonesia has become a member of BRICS.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lach-luat-de-lien-ket-185250109220305214.htm