8. Drifting towards Dynamic Equilibrium: Indonesia’s South China Sea Policy under Yudhoyono

Abstract

This chapter examines Indonesia’s South China Sea policy under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. For much of his administration (2004–14), Indonesia held on to three interrelated policy concepts: non-claimant, honest broker, and confidence-builder. Indonesia is a non-claimant as it does not stake a claim in the disputed waters of the Spratlys. Indonesia maintained a non-claimant status because China has yet to clarify publicly its infamous “nine-dash line” map. In the absence of such clarification, Jakarta has not acknowledged that any maritime boundary dispute with Beijing exists — which has allowed Indonesia to exploit the hydrocarbon and marine resources of the Natunas’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Ambiguity over the nine-dash line thus seemingly benefited both China and Indonesia. A non-claimant position has further allowed Indonesia to play the role of an “honest broker” among the claimants. Indonesia has played that role by becoming a confidence-builder seeking to peacefully manage, rather than legally resolve, the disputes through multilateral