Indonesia widens security ties to include Japan and Papua New Guinea

Indonesia and Australia are widening their security cooperation to include Japan and Papua New Guinea, building a web of defence ties across the region. As Al Jazeera reports, the defence ministers of Indonesia and Australia met in Jakarta and announced plans for three-way arrangements, more intelligence sharing, and joint training bases.

The plans are concrete. One training facility is planned on Morotai island in North Maluku, a former World War II base, to be used by forces from the Philippines, Australia, and Singapore. Another is being developed with Singapore in North Kalimantan. The moves build on the "Treaty on Common Security" that Indonesia and Australia signed the month before, part of a growing network of pacts as countries in the region respond to a more assertive China.

For Indonesia, working more closely with Australia, Japan, and neighbours brings training, equipment, and shared intelligence. It also has to balance this against its tradition of staying non-aligned, so it joins these arrangements as a partner rather than a formal ally bound to fight for others.

Why it matters

Deeper security ties can help Indonesia guard its vast territory and keep a steadier region, which supports trade and daily life. But leaning too far toward one grouping could strain its long-held independence. Watch whether the training bases and joint patrols actually take shape, and how Indonesia keeps its balance between big powers.