US Prez Biden looks forward to boost ties with Indonesia amid rising tensions with China

In a bid to increase engagement in South Asia amid soaring tensions with China, US President Joe Biden on Monday said that he is looking forward to strengthening ties with Indonesia, one of Beijing's biggest trading partners in the region. During his first in-person meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, Biden said that he is “looking forward to building more on the bilateral relationship” between the two nations. From addressing the climate crisis to ending the COVID-19 pandemic to upholding freedom of the seas, the US President said that there is no global challenge today that doesn’t benefit from Indonesia and the US working together.   

"I'm looking forward to building more on our bilateral relationship because we have so much that we can work together on and so much in common," Biden said during his meeting with Widodo on the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. 

Indonesia would become ‘reliable partner’ to US

According to Radio Free Asia, the two leaders, during their meeting, also talked about freedom of navigation, economic cooperation, the political crisis in Myanmar and the coronavirus pandemic. In response to Biden’s remarks, Widodo said that Indonesia would become a “reliable partner” to Washington. Widodo even invited his American counterpart to invest in environmentally sustainable sectors in the archipelago nation. 

"I'm looking forward to US support by investing in our energy transition, especially in low-carbon technology," Widodo said. 

Separately, in a series of tweets, Widodo informed that they both exchanged ideas on various international issues, including the Afghanistan situation and climate change. Expressing his appreciation for the cooperation with the US in the health sector., he stated that Indonesia is interested in being part of the global supply chain in the health sector.   

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the Biden administration has been making efforts to engage in the South Asian region amid China’s increasing economic influence in the region. According to ANI, back in October, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai had  lambasted Beijing for unfair trade policies. She said that China’s “lack of adherence” to global trading norms had undercut the prosperity of the US and other countries in the world.   

(With inputs from ANI)