Defence White Paper: Indonesia backs Australian military build-up

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Defence White Paper:
Indonesia backs Australian military build-up

Defence Minister Marise Payne last week at the launch of the White Paper in Canberra.

Indonesia has backed Australia’s plans for a military build-up in coming years, saying it presented neither a threat to its own interests in the Indian Ocean region nor an irritant to China.

Indonesian Defence Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Djundan Eko Bintoro told The Australian Jakarta had been forewarned of Thursday’s defence white paper, which outlines plans to boost Australia’s annual defence spending by 80 per cent within a decade, and saw it as no reason for concern.

Australia’s expansion is seen largely as a response to tensions in the Asia-Pacific region over Chinese expansionism, as well as to US appeals for its allies to shoulder more responsibility for their own defence.

The strategic blueprint commits Australia to doubling its submarine fleet to 12, building nine frigates, three destroyers and 12 offshore patrol vessels. It will also buy its first fleet of armed drones, and boost defence forces by about 2500 personnel.

Asian tensions are ratcheting up over Chinese land reclamation and suspected military activity in the South China Sea, with a weekend meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations expressing concern over escalated activity there.

A joint ASEAN ministers’ statement said that activity had “eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region”. A day earlier the US urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to prevent the militarisation of the region.

Beijing has reacted poorly to references within Australia’s white paper to the “unprecedented pace and scale” of Chinese reclamation in within the South China Sea, and the fact they were creating regional “uncertainty and tension”.

Many Asian nations are now building up military strength out of concern at China’s moves to militarise disputed territories.

But Indonesian defence ministry spokesman Djundan Eko Bintoro said it did not see Australian military build-up as a threat. “We are not talking about war here. We are talking about peace. We need to try to create peace and security,” he said.

Indonesia is not a claimant in the dispute and saw its role as one of “defence diplomacy”, mediating dialogue between Australia, China and the US, General Bintoro added.

Jakarta plans to increase its naval budget in coming decades, with some estimates suggesting that by 2035 it will be Southeast Asia’s biggest military spender.

Indonesian Naval spokesman M Zainudin said every country had the right to boost its armed forces and he had no concerns about a growing arms race in Asia as “all countries involved are civilised countries”.

Aaron Connelly from the Lowy Institute said Southeast Asian nations were generally “more comfortable with Australia standing up for the values that America also talks about; rule of law, freedom of navigation, a rules-based order”.

Many Asian nations worried the US would be “too forceful in how it prosecutes its interest whereas Australia lives in the region and, like all countries in this region, will have to deal with however the Sino-US tensions recede or progress”.

“So I think there’s greater comfort in Australia taking these positions and spending money to back them up than the US.”

The US’s so-called “pivot” to the Asia Pacific region is motivated by a desire to contain Chinese expansionism through regional democratic alliances with close allies such as Australia and Japan.

Nocookies | The Australian

 

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‘No worries’ for RI over Australia defense spending hike

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | February 27 2016 | 8:41 AM

Indonesia should not worry about Australia’s plan to significantly increase its defense spending — which has drawn fire from China — and should see the mounting budget as an opportunity to cooperate in enhancing regional security.

Australia is set to boost defense spending by nearly A$30 billion (US$21.6 billion) over the next decade, seeking to protect its strategic and trade interests in the Asia-Pacific as the United States and its allies grapple with China’s rising power.

In its 20-year plan, Australia aims to bolster its naval strength with more submarines and warships as part of a military buildup it said was needed to maintain peace in the region.

Australia said it would maintain its strong alliance with the US and develop partnerships with several strategic countries, stating that its relationship with Indonesia was vital and saying it envisioned the archipelago would be the “biggest military spender in Southeast Asia by 2035”.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Ministry spokesman Agus Barnas said on Friday that the neighboring country’s increased spending should not be seen as a threat as all nations had their own interests. Indonesia has also increased its defense budget.

However, Agus added, all countries needed to respect the sovereignty of other countries in conducting defense activities.

“We see the increase in Australia’s spending as a positive plan that will help enhance regional security,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Given the two countries’ strong defense partnership, Agus hoped the increased budget would lead to deeper collaboration.

In a defense white paper, Australia said: “We will continue to deepen our defense partnership with Indonesia through: navy, army and air force cooperation; expanding our comprehensive pattern of training, exercises, and operations; more frequent policy and planning dialogue; and intelligence exchanges.”

It also emphasized the need to “secure northern approaches and proximate sea lines of communication” and for “a secure nearer region, encompassing maritime Southeast Asia and South Pacific” among its strategic interests.

“We will build on the strong foundation of our defense relationship to support Indonesia as it modernizes its defense forces,” the report added.

Indonesia and Australia’s existing security relationship encompasses the framework set out in the 2006 Lombok Treaty, the 2012 Defense Cooperation Arrangement and the 2014 Joint Understanding on Intelligence Cooperation.

International expert Iis Gindarsah from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said the increase in Australian military spending reflected worries on security developments in the region and indicated that the country aimed to play a bigger role in global security.

“Australia’s higher defense spending reflects its regional security concerns and ambition to become a military power in the Western Pacific.”

For Australia, maintaining stable defense ties with Indonesia was important not only for counterterrorism purposes but also to ensure free and safe navigation through Southeast Asian commercial sea lanes, he said.

Australian defense spending will rise to A$195 billion, 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), by 2021-2022, as the country buys new equipment including frigates, armored personnel carriers, strike fighter jets, drones and submarines, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Thursday.

The strategic defense plan was designed with the changing nature of regional security, particularly China’s economic and military rise and an increased US focus on the Asia-Pacific, in mind, Turnbull said.

Following the plan, Chinese officials said they were “seriously concerned” by an Australian strategic evaluation of the South China Sea and warned Australia against compromising the stability of the Asia-Pacific region.

‘No worries’ for RI over Australia defense spending hike | The Jakarta Post