“Soft power” efforts launched by the PRC and CCP are struggling to gain traction in Indonesia. A 2018 Op-ed in the Global Times by AI Jun made the apt observation: “It seems that clouds of anti-Chinese sentiment in Indonesia have not yet dissolved and the country is still puzzled by uncertainties about China’s intention and role in Southeast Asia.” In light of the unique cultural and historical context facing the Chinese diaspora in Indonesia, the PRC has adapted and reprioritized the usual tools they deploy to influence and interfere in foreign countries.
Indonesia is consequential to the PRC’s foreign policy objectives for the following reasons:
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Indonesia is home to a sizeable Chinese diaspora: approximately five million people or 2% of the total population.
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Indonesia has the potential and the interest to provide significant investment opportunities for Chinese companies.
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Because Indonesia has been so reluctant to engage with the PRC, it is especially impactful when they do in fact support (or refuse to reject) the Chinese standard narrative of international events.
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Positive statements from Indonesian Muslim groups are used to shield the PRC from accusations of human rights violations in Xinjiang.
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Indonesia’s authorization of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine is cited as evidence of the PRC’s scientific and diplomatic success.
There are also significant historical and contemporary barriers to Chinese influence and interference efforts in Indonesia:
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Since the 17th Century, Chinese Indonesians have been viewed as “pariahs” who may never completely assimilate. Even today, anti-Chinese sentiment regularly erupts in incidents of widespread violence.
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The Chinese-Indonesian community lacks certain cultural touchstones that are the basis of the PRC government’s usual outreach efforts such as Mandarin language skills.
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The Communist Party of Indonesia has been banned since 1965 along with any references to communist ideology or symbols.
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Indonesians have expressed concern about Chinese economic investment and its potential to introduce “debt traps” or an influx of migrant laborers to the country.
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Recent rumors have accused Chinese state actors of election interference, but these allegations appear to be the result of disinformation as opposed to evidence of Chinese wrongdoing.
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