Analysts expect new leader to be guided by pragmatism on China

Mr Prabowo claimed victory following the Feb 14 Indonesian presidential election. While there are signs that Mr Prabowo might be unpredictable, he is likely to continue Indonesia’s basic foreign policy stance, focusing on regional autonomy and not siding with either the United States or China, said Assoc Prof Kei Koga from the Public Policy and Global Affairs programme at NTU. Regarding the Natuna Sea dispute, Prof Koga believes Mr Prabowo would take a wait-and-see position in terms of Beijing’s posture, although he added that the risk of an escalation remains.

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