Biden, Jokowi affirm new defence cooperation accord
THE US and Indonesia announced a new defence cooperation agreement on Monday (Nov 13), as Washington looks to counter Chinese influence across the Indo-Pacific with efforts to bolster defence and trade agreements.
The deal, struck after a White House meeting between US President Joe Biden and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, is part of a broader agreement that will see the nations work together on peacekeeping efforts and counterterrorism programmes. The announcement was made as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in San Francisco got underway.
The two nations will also hold a pair of regular meetings between senior defence officials that will include engagement with non-military stakeholders, the White House said.
The cooperation agreement is the latest in a series of pacts between the US and Asian nations in recent months, as the Biden administration pursues alliances to curb China’s influence in the region.
In August, the US struck a defence cooperation agreement with Papua New Guinea, and in September, Biden travelled to Vietnam to announce a new “comprehensive strategic partnership” to deepen business ties.
Biden hosted Widodo in Washington before travelling to San Francisco on Tuesday, where he is expected to meet with world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on the sidelines of the summit.
Biden and Widodo also discussed efforts to move forward on a critical minerals accord that could further open Indonesia’s nickel market to US companies. The metal is a key component of high-performance batteries such as those powering electric vehicles.
The leaders discussed “the opportunity to create high-standard clean-energy supply-chain jobs in both countries through a robust partnership between the US and Indonesia that leads to mutually beneficial development of domestic resources in accordance with fair market-based rules,” the White House said. BLOOMBERG
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