Indonesia as a ‘Global Swing State’: What does it means for U.S.-Indonesia Relations?
Indonesia’s membership in the G20, its stable and growing economy, its democratic government, and its role in regional and international diplomacy have made it a rising power in the international order. Indonesia, along with other emerging democratic powers Brazil, India, and Turkey, brings capability and legitimacy to any international effort, making it an important player for today’s global powers including the United States, Europe, China, and Japan. Like a handful of other rising democracies, Indonesia is a “global swing state.”
On July 24, 2012, USINDO hosted an Open Forum with Dr. Daniel Kliman, Transatlantic Fellow on Asia, at the German Marshall Fund, and Mr. Richard Fontaine, President of the Center for a New American Security, who together led a major research project on global swing states. They discussed how Indonesia has emerged alongside Brazil, India, and Turkey as a global swing state, what it means for the relationship between the United States and Indonesia, and how Indonesia and the United States can further collaborate to enhance their bilateral relations as well as preserve the global order.