US, China drills put Indonesia’s non-aligned foreign policy in focus

Indonesia finds its "free and active" foreign policy under scrutiny as it expands defense diplomacy to include military drills with China, as analysts suggest. This comes as Jakarta hosts the annual Garuda Shield exercise alongside the United States, a rival superpower. The fifth iteration of Super Garuda Shield, which runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 11, sees nearly 5,000 soldiers from 21 countries participating in training exercises across Indonesia.

The United States has labeled this year's exercise as the "most extensive" to date, with six ASEAN countries and numerous other nations from the Indo-Pacific and beyond participating. This includes Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is preparing for another major military drill with China, the second Garuda Heping exercise, scheduled to take place in Sumatra between September and October. The exercise aims to deepen defense ties between the two countries at various levels, including among officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel.

The simultaneous military exercises have drawn attention from observers and analysts, given the limited nature of Indonesia's military partnership with China compared to its long-standing defense ties with the US. While the US and Indonesia have engaged in extensive military exercises over the past two decades, their partnership with China is more limited, with the first Garuda Heping drill taking place only in 2024, focusing on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.