For stronger Asian ties

We support an Indonesian foreign policy which aims at opening new opportunities by strengthening ties with China and India. Stronger ties with both those countries could bolster Indonesia's bargaining position vis-a-vis the West.

It is a fact that the U.S. and the West dominate the world, both politically and economically, and we have no choice but to adjust. That, however, does not mean that we must have our policies dictated by others, as seems to be the situation lately.

They (the U.S. and the West) must accept that Indonesia has a right to determine its own fate. The IMF (International Monetary Fund), for one, has already admitted to mistakes in early approaches to Asian economic crises: Capitalism, too, has its shortcomings.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta