Indonesians need China more than they think

The visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the hostile attitude of many Indonesians, especially politicians, to economic relations between Indonesia and China, came to my mind after listening to the views of three internationally recognised scholars and outstanding veteran Asean diplomats.
We must understand that China’s economy is so gigantic that 100 countries, including Indonesia, have to accept the fact that China has become their most important economic partner.
In less than two decades China will take over the United States’ position as the world’s largest economy. 
Professor Kishore Mahbubani and Professor Tommy Koh warned that Asean, of which Indonesia is de facto economic leader, will go through a very dangerous period in the next 10 years.
Mahbubani talked about China’s rising power while the US declines and there is a common sentiment across the board that China is a serious threat to the US.
Koh pointed our that the situation in the South China Sea will deteriorate and China will become more aggressive.
Former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa urged Indonesia to step up its leadership in Asean in navigating the difficult course. There can be no changing the balance of power, only the dynamics of power, he said. Indonesia needs to boost its diplomatic agility.
The question is how can Indonesia take a leading role during Asean’s navigation when internally many Indonesians still think that Indonesia is so important to China that it would not dare confront us?
Baseless chauvinistic pride and a false sense that we are a great nation has often and will continue to trouble us when we are not ready to accept our position.
 China will soon become the world’s largest Official Development Assistance provider and there is almost no chance of reducing the flow of Chinese exports and investment. China appears threatening because its military expenditure continues to rise in line with its rapidly growing GDP.
Opponents have strongly criticised President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo for his new labour regulation that, they believe, will trigger an influx of foreign workers into Indonesia.
Tens of thousands of unskilled Chinese labourers now are working, they claim, in China-funded projects, many of them turn-key contracts. The critics have a point, but they do not see the bigger picture. 
The ghost of communism continues to haunt Indonesia with many people branded communists, including Jokowi himself. Admit it or not, this often refers to the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) even though China has now become the world’s largest promoter of the free-market principle.
For some reason, the horrors of the 1998 May riots suddenly spring to mind. 
Thousands of Indonesians were burned to death in Jakarta just days before the fall of then president Suharto on May 21, 1998. 
Hundreds of Indonesians of Chinese descent were sexually assaulted at that time. Even now we pretend that nothing happened 20 years ago.
Chinese officials in their private conversations often express their fear that anti-Chinese sentiments will erupt from time to time in Indonesia. Millions of them visit Indonesia as tourists and we should not forget many of them still remember the 1998 tragedy.

Strategic partnership
Premier Li is on a three-day state visit to Indonesia finishing today. He will the go to Japan for a much-awaited trilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
The official purpose of the premier’s visit is to commemorate the Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two countries’ diplomatic relations were only restored on August 8, 1990, when then premier Li Peng met with Suharto in Jakarta. 
Jakarta abruptly severed ties with Beijing, after Indonesia accused China of masterminding the alleged September 30, 1965, coup attempt, which Beijing denied.
In his meeting with Jokowi, Li will reportedly raise his concerns over the slow development of the 142.3-kilometre Jakarta-Bandung railway project. China and Indonesia signed the contract for this on October 16, 2016, after Japan lost the project to China. Initially its cost was $5.1 billion, but has since risen to $5.9 billion (Bt162 billion). It appears unlikely that the October 2020 deadline for finishing the project will be met.
Again, we must realise that Indonesia needs China more than they need us. Our relationship with China is based on equality and mutual benefit, so I am asking Indonesians to please accept reality, at least for a while.
Welcome to Jakarta, Premier Li.