Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, is the largest Muslim-majority nation. Many Muslims have been outraged by Biden’s support for Israel after Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages on Oct 7, according to Israeli officials. Palestinian officials have said Israeli strikes have killed more than 11,000 Gaza residents.
“The president will look to ask Indonesia to a play a larger role and to assist us,” in the Middle East, the US official said, without elaborating on what such an expanded role might entail.
Like several of its neighbours in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is economically intertwined with China as it navigates territorial disputes with its larger neighbor and wants to avoid getting caught in the middle by hostile Washington-Beijing relations.
Jakarta is expected to formally upgrade relations with Washington to the highest diplomatic tier at the meeting. Biden will also announce new funding for Indonesia’s semiconductor industry, the people said.
The two leaders will also discuss Indonesia’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Myanmar, where the military took control in a 2021 coup and has been engaged in clashes with rebel alliances, one of the officials said.
“It’s going to be time soon for us to think about what our next steps are together to deal with a situation that is untenable,” the person said.
Jokowi, first elected in 2014, is constitutionally required to leave office next year after serving the maximum two terms.
Source: CNA
