ABSTRACT
In May 1998, Indonesia experienced a turbulent political transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system. After 32 years in power, President Suharto stepped down and Indonesian politics began a new phase of democratisation – also called the beginning of the reformasi. Since independence, Indonesian leaders have followed a foreign policy principle of “bebas aktif ” – independent and active – set by the two most prominent nationalist leaders: President Sukarno and his vice president, Mohammad Hatta, after 1945. There are three popular theoretical approaches to explaining Indonesia’s foreign policy. The two independent variables are international pressure and domestic support, which explain the variations of Indonesia’s foreign policy. It will be increasingly difficult for Indonesia to keep equidistance between the United States and China whilst at the same time pursuing its own foreign policy agenda.
