US and Indonesia to cooperate on South China Sea strategy
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announces “strategic dialogue” between Washington and Jakarta on disputed South China Sea.
The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has announced that the United States and Indonesia have launched upon a “strategic dialogue” and are committed to working together to resolves issues surrounding the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
The announcement comes after talks in Washington between Blinken and his Indonesian opposite number, Indonesian Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi.
“Indonesia is a strong democratic partner to the United States; we are working together on so many different fronts,” Blinken said, adding that the US appreciated Jakarta’s strong voice within ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
A State department statement said that Marsudi and Blinken also “expressed shared views on maritime security” and are committed to “defending freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, and continuing collaboration in cybersecurity and preventing cybercrime”.
