Relationship dossier
Indonesia
United States
Relationship assessment
A broad strategic partnership with sustained cooperation and some differences over human rights and foreign policy
Indonesia toward United States
+45Indonesia has pursued a broad strategic partnership with the United States, including cooperation on defense, counterterrorism, maritime security, education, and economic issues. The two governments elevated the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. Indonesia’s nonaligned foreign policy shapes, but does not prevent, this cooperation.
United States toward Indonesia
+45The United States has developed strategic and defense cooperation with Indonesia, including joint military exercises such as Garuda Shield and collaboration on counterterrorism and maritime security. It has also supported expanded educational and economic engagement. Human rights concerns have at times complicated security ties.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship has a durable cooperative structure, with successive partnership frameworks and collaboration across security, education, and economic affairs. The 2023 elevation to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflects the breadth of engagement. Differences over human rights and Indonesia’s preference for a nonaligned foreign policy remain, but have not displaced the wider partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Indonesia and the United States maintain a broad partnership covering defense, counterterrorism, maritime security, education, and economic ties. Their relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023, building on an earlier comprehensive partnership. Cooperation coexists with differences over human rights and Indonesia’s nonaligned foreign policy.
Areas of tension
- Differences over human rights have periodically complicated security cooperation.
- Indonesia’s nonaligned foreign policy can limit alignment with U.S. strategic priorities.
Key developments
The governments established a Comprehensive Partnership, expanding cooperation across bilateral and global issues.
The governments elevated the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Garuda Shield became a recurring bilateral military exercise, supporting defense engagement.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which the strategic partnership has produced sustained implementation across its stated areas is unclear.
- The scale and durability of current defense cooperation are not fully clear.