India’s ASEAN diplomacy: Indonesia’s defence minister thanks China for its ‘goodwill’

Indonesia's Minister of Defence, Ryamizard Ryacudu, has expressed his appreciation towards China's ‘goodwill’ in the South China Sea over its willingness in maintaining security in Asia.

"The escalation in the South China Sea tends to be less. We have to maintain this momentum in a conducive manner in order to accommodate our interests," Ryacudu said in his address, which was delivered in Bahasa Indonesia.

"At the same time, we also have to appreciate the goodwill of China to be more open and over its willingness to cooperate in maintain the security architecture in the region," he added.

The important remarks came on Thursday during a keynote address at the Raisina Dialogue, a three-day conference centered mainly on foreign policy issues and organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

The ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) leader pitched for cooperation on multilteral forums among countries of the region to combat the rising terrorism in the region, noting with concern that Daesh was fast gaining a stronghold in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

"The threat of terrorism and radicalism requires an interstate effort. Therefore, it requires effort and collaboration to strenghthen abilities in the region in a more constructive and concrete manner," Ryacudu, a former head of the Indonesian Navy, said.

"In south-east Asia region, the territory has been used as an ISIS and a Daesh stronghold."

"I would like to reiterate our commitment to play a very active role to strengthen the regional security architecture and play an active role in any multilateral forums such as the ADMM (Asian Defence Ministers' Meeting), ADMM Plus , EAS (East Asia Summit), and other form of cooperation, including the Raisina Dialogue event," the Indonesian minister said.

The ADMM-Plus countries include ten ASEAN Member States, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and eight Plus countries, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, ROK, Russian Federation and the United States. The EAS, on the other hand, comprises of 16 countries, including countries in Asia, the US, Russia and Australia.

India, also a part of the EAS, has been refocussing its attention in South-East Asia, as part of its Act East Policy. In a push to cement ties between India and ASEAN countries, the leaders of ten south-east Asian states have been invited as guests of honour to this year's Republic Day parade. During his India visit, Ryacudu also met his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman as the two sides discussed joint air and naval drills.

The burgeoning of ties come in the backdrop of India’s renewed tensions with China over the disputed Doklam Plateau, where the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops have set-up concrete posts, helipads and trenches recently, according to a report in The Print. A seventy-day standoff between Indian and Chinese troops on the Doklam Plateau last year had ended only after both sides agreed to maintain status quo.

Indonesia, which has its own maritime tensions with China, however has of late taken a less hostile approach in its interactions with its larger and powerful norther neighbour, which was also evidenced in the Indonesia's defence minister speech.

The most populous Muslim nation in the world is also part of the Belt and Road Forum, which India opposes due to sovereignty concerns from China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of China’s multi-trillion dollar global enterprise which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Besides the disputes in the South China Sea and the rise of Daesh, Ryacudu identified the North Korean missile crisis and the displacement of Rohingya Muslims as other key issues threatening the regional order.

"We have to focus our attention on the Rohingya crisis in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. It needs a collective effort in the region. Otherwise, the vulnerable refugees can be recruited by the Daesh group."