Australia and Indonesia: Can we be Friends?: Australian Foreign Affairs Issue 3

Australia and Indonesia examines the turbulent relationship between these two neighbours and the missteps and missed opportunities on both sides that have prevented the forging of a genuine friendship. It examines Indonesia’s rise, its sharp religious and political divisions, and the opportunities and challenges this presents for Australia.

This issue is crucial reading for anyone wanting to understand the intricacies of arguably Australia’s most important relationship. The risk for both nations is that, as Asia’s power balance changes, a failure to deepen ties now will lead to a wider gulf in the future.

Hugh White: ‘Australia, Overshadowed: Can we keep the peace with our rising northern neighbour?‘

Jen Rayner: ‘The View from Australia: Is Indonesia leaving us behind?’

Endy Bayuni: ‘The View from Indonesia: How to say “deputy sheriff” in Bahasa Indonesia’

Tim Lindsey: ‘One Country, 18,000 Islands: Islamists, separatists and the growing cracks in the republic’

PLUS

Ric Smith on Afghanistan; Julia Wallace on Myanmar; Tim Harcourt on global trade; Richard McGregor on China; and correspondence from Tim Costello, Jim Molan, Chengxin Pan and more.