It was 62 years ago this week — on Sept. 2, 1948 — when the principles underlying Indonesia’s foreign policy were first articulated. In a Cold War speech to the young republic just emerging from Dutch rule, future Prime Minister Mohammad Hatta asked, "Do we, Indonesians, in the struggle for the freedom of our people and our country, only have to choose between Russia and America?" No, he answered: "We must remain the subject who reserves the right to decide our own destiny and fight for our own goal, which is independence for the whole of Indonesia."
The policy born that day, known here as mendayung antara dua karang — which translates to "rowing between two reefs" — would keep Indonesia out of the major conflicts of the 20th century. But today, tensions are rising in the South China Sea — between a China bent on regional hegemony and a newly assertive America intent on stopping it. Now, the question is: Can Indonesia row between these two reefs, or will it be forced to take sides in a potential second Cold War?
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