Indonesia and China

by Rizal Sukma

Indonesia broke off relations with China in 1967 and resumed them only in 1990. Rizal Sukma asks why. His answers shed light on Indonesia's foreign policy, the nature of the New Order's domestic politics, the mixed functions of diplomatic ties, the legitimacy of the new regime, and the role of President Suharto. Rizal Sukma argues that the matter of Indonesia restoring diplomatic ties with China is best understood in terms of the efforts made by the military-based New Order government to sustain its political legitimacy. To counter domestic challenges, it posed as the guardian of the state against communist threats. Normalisation of relations would have reduced its credibility. The military's resistance to pleas for this, especially from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, served to justify its position as the only force capable of protecting the Republic from China. In 1989, the restoration of diplomatic relations came about because of major changes in the political power of the military