{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1841627,
        "msgid": "the-ebb-and-flow-of-ri-us-relations-from-the-voc-era-obama-to-the-trade-war-1783237856",
        "date": "2026-07-05 14:00:00",
        "title": "The Ebb and Flow of RI-US Relations: From the VOC Era, Obama, to the Trade War",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "Indonesia and the United States' relationship has evolved over more than two centuries, from early trade missions to a modern strategic partnership focused on critical minerals and technology. The bilateral ties have weathered Cold War rivalries, a US military embargo, and shifting global priorities to become a key axis for Indonesia. Recent agreements signal a new chapter, with cooperation now centred on semiconductors, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence.",
        "content": "<p>The relationship between Indonesia and the United States was\nestablished long before the Republic of Indonesia\u2019s independence.\nAlthough the US only formally recognised Indonesian sovereignty in 1949\nfollowing the Round Table Conference, America subsequently developed\ninto one of Indonesia\u2019s strategic partners in various fields, ranging\nfrom trade and investment to education and defence. Over more than seven\ndecades, the relationship has experienced ups and downs in line with\nchanging global political dynamics, yet it remains one of the crucial\naxes in Indonesia\u2019s bilateral relations with major powers. In recent\nmonths, Indonesia-US relations have entered a new chapter. The two\ncountries signed a series of economic agreements worth tens of billions\nof dollars, covering trade, investment, critical minerals, supply chain\nstrengthening, and technology. The relationship, which today is\ndominated by issues of semiconductors, electric vehicles, and artificial\nintelligence, has actually traversed a journey of more than seven\ndecades. What has changed is not only the form of cooperation but also\nthe reasons why Jakarta and Washington need each other. At one time, the\ninterest was the recognition of Indonesia\u2019s sovereignty. In another\nperiod, it shifted to Cold War rivalry. Now, the focus is on the contest\nfor global supply chains and future technologies. Relations Began with\nTrade Long before Indonesia\u2019s independence, the United States already\nhad trade interests in the archipelago. On 24 November 1801, the US\ngovernment opened its first consular office in Batavia to serve the\nincreasingly busy trade activities in the Southeast Asian region.\nOfficial state-to-state relations only began after Indonesia gained\nrecognition of its sovereignty. The United States opened its Embassy in\nJakarta on 28 December 1949 and appointed Horace Merle Cochran as the\nfirst ambassador. A few months later, on 20 February 1950, Indonesia\nsent Ali Sastroamidjojo as its first ambassador to Washington. In the\nfirst few decades, the foundation of the relationship between the two\ncountries was built through diplomatic recognition and the establishment\nof official communication channels. From this point, cooperation in the\npolitical, economic, defence, and educational fields began to develop.\nIndonesia Enters the Global Rivalry Stage The Indonesia-US relationship\nbegan to enter a more complex phase when the world was divided by the\nCold War. After supporting the recognition of Indonesian sovereignty in\nthe late 1940s, Washington saw Jakarta not merely as a newly independent\ncountry, but as an important part of the influence rivalry with the\nSoviet Union. Indonesia\u2019s position was different. The government chose a\nfree and active foreign policy, hosted the Asia-Africa Conference in\n1955, and then co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement. Amid the rivalry\nbetween the two blocs, Jakarta sought to maintain distance from both the\nWest and the East. The relationship briefly warmed during the era of\nPresident John F. Kennedy. The United States supported the 1962 New York\nAgreement, which paved the way for the transfer of administration of\nWest Papua from the Netherlands to the United Nations Temporary\nExecutive Authority (UNTEA), before it was finally handed over to\nIndonesia. However, the relationship was tested again when President\nSukarno strengthened ties with the Soviet Union and the People\u2019s\nRepublic of China, alongside the policy of Confrontation with Malaysia.\nFor Washington, keeping Indonesia from falling completely into the\ncommunist orbit became a strategic interest far greater than bilateral\nrelations alone. After the Cold War, Priorities Shifted The end of the\nCold War changed the direction of the relationship. Ideological rivalry\nwas no longer the main issue. Instead, attention began to shift to\ndemocracy, human rights, reform, and regional stability. This change was\nevident after the 1999 referendum in Timor Timur. The United States\nimposed a military embargo on Indonesia in response to the\npost-referendum situation. Defence cooperation that had been built\npreviously practically came to a halt. The embargo was only lifted in\n2005. Since then, defence relations have been restored gradually through\nsecurity dialogues, joint military exercises, personnel capacity\nbuilding, and cooperation in addressing transnational threats. If during\nthe Cold War the relationship was largely determined by geopolitical\ncalculations, entering the 21st century the measures of success became\nmore diverse, ranging from governance to regional security cooperation.\nBilateral Relations Continue to Level Up The normalisation of relations\nopened a new chapter. Over the past one and a half decades, Indonesia\nand the United States have upgraded their partnership status several\ntimes. Each upgrade did not merely change the name but also expanded the\nscope of cooperation. Key milestones in RI-US relations include: 2010 -\nComprehensive Partnership: Expanding cooperation in education, trade,\nenergy, the environment, science and technology, and people-to-people\nrelations. 2015 - Strategic Partnership: Agreed upon during President\nJoko Widodo\u2019s visit to Washington DC. The focus of cooperation was\nexpanded to include investment, defence, maritime affairs, and economic\ngrowth. On the same occasion, business deals worth more than US$22\nbillion were announced. 2023 - Comprehensive Strategic Partnership:\nAnnounced by President Joko Widodo and President Joe Biden. The\npartnership covers the digital economy, energy transition, critical\nminerals, maritime security, supply chain strengthening, and cooperation\nin the Indo-Pacific region.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-ebb-and-flow-of-ri-us-relations-from-the-voc-era-obama-to-the-trade-war-1783237856",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}