Arrizal Jaknanihan

The Diplomat • 19th June 2022

What China Gets Wrong About Southeast Asia

Last month’s long-awaited summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and eight Southeast Asian leaders in Washington has put China on alert. Despite the former’s underwhelming economic deliverables, the U.S. secured ASEAN’s support for the upgrade of its diplomatic status to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”

China, in contrast, has long been plagued by a trust deficit among Southeast Asians. Despite its overwhelming contribution to the regional economy, a recent survey of Southeast Asian el

The Interpreter • 25th March 2022

Stiffening the ASEAN spine in the South China Sea

“Coalition” is one of those politically loaded terms that the sovereignty-conscious member-states of ASEAN tend to avoid – especially in dealing with disputed claims in the South China Sea. Keeping the region away from direct conflict with its giant neighbour the People’s Republic of China has long been considered to be imperative for economic development.

However, the latest examples of friction in the area might push at least some Southeast Asian countries beyond the established pattern.

At

East Asia Forum • 25th January 2022

What critics miss on ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific Outlook

With its strongman leader and pro-China outlook, analysts remain doubtful about Cambodia’s pledge to ‘strengthen ASEAN centrality’ under its chairmanship in 2022. The prospect of reinforcing an ASEAN-centred region, as envisioned by the ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, is also being questioned.

It is true that the Outlook has various shortcomings, including a lack of actionable policy. It is also premised on the flawed assumption that existing ASEAN-led platforms are sufficient to stabilise

New Mandala • 11th May 2021

Quad and the Test for Indonesia’s Leadership in ASEAN

After its revival in 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) reached a new milestone by assembling its first summit on March 12th 2021. The informal security alliance comprised of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia is still nascent compared to the existing regional fora initiated by ASEAN. Yet, the advent of new bloc implicitly questioned the relevance of old players; Indonesia and the institution it leads are no exception.

The primary concern regarding the Quad is whether

East Asia Forum • 18th October 2021

Why Indonesia should embrace AUKUS

The announcement of AUKUS — a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States — sparked concern over escalating rivalry across the Indo-Pacific. Canberra is now attempting to allay suspicion in Indonesia, a key strategic partner, over its commitment to regional peace. But Indonesia should view AUKUS in an introspective manner and realise the opportunity it provides.

AUKUS reveals ASEAN’s lingering symptoms of indecision and Indonesia’s inability to address c

Yale Review of International Studies • 26th November 2021

Fear of Irrelevance: Minilaterals and ASEAN’s Inability to Manage Great Power Competition

The newly established trilateral defense pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, known as AUKUS, has added fuel to the rivalry in the Indo-Pacific. The agreement to provide Australia with eight nuclear-powered submarines was taken against the backdrop of China’s increasingly aggressive posture in the South China Sea. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, immediately denounced the US-UK-Australia clique, stating that AUKUS severely dam

The Yale Review of International Studies • 29th January 2022

Building Shared Futures: China’s “Community of Common Destiny,” Its Promises and Paradox in Southeast Asia

China’s rising prominence has been accompanied by not only economic and military might, but also a variety of new concepts in Beijing’s diplomatic lexicon. During the ASEAN-China Special Summit on 22 November 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that China sought to build “a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.”[i] The phrase “Community of Common Destiny and Shared Future” or shortly “Community of Common Destiny” (CCD) has been used nearly a hundred times and signifies Beijing

Modern Diplomacy • 17th August 2021

Beyond China Containment: On the US’s Recommitment to ASEAN

The US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin became the first high-ranking official to visit Southeast Asia during Biden’s presidency. His last month’s visit to Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines sent a message that the US is willing to renew its ties with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states. The visit that followed by the US attendance in ASEAN Regional Forum seems to allay the long-held suspicion over the US’s commitment to the region. When President Biden took the office, amon

DetikNews • 20th June 2022

Realistis Memandang Potensi RCEP bagi Indonesia

Penolakan terhadap rencana impor beras mengangkat kembali perdebatan mengenai pasar bebas di Indonesia. Meskipun akhirnya dibatalkan, wacana impor yang belum lama ini bergulir turut dimungkinkan akibat keberadaan dari perjanjian dagang. Salah satu perjanjian dagang yang paling disambut baik oleh Indonesia adalah Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Kesepakatan yang diteken dalam sela akhir KTT ASEAN ke-37, 15 November 2020 lalu menghimpun sepuluh negara ASEAN bersama dengan Tiong

Kumparan • 17th February 2021

Bila Akhirnya UU ITE Direvisi Kembali

Setelah imbauannya berujung pada kritik dari berbagai kalangan, Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi) akhirnya memberikan sinyal akan adanya revisi dari UU ITE. Undang-Undang No. 11 Tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik atau lebih dikenal dengan UU ITE sendiri telah menuai banyak kritik setelah dua belas tahun diimplementasikan. Tidak hanya karena standar pelanggaran yang subjektif, instrumen hukum ini pun pada praktiknya lebih sering digunakan oleh elite politik ataupun bisnis yang mera