Diplomatic vacuum created by Trump in the Pacific could open the door for Indonesia to succeed in bringing PNG under ASEAN's wing

Australia Broadcast Center

2 days ago

Not for the first time Indonesia is pushing for Papua New Guinea to be admitted into ASEAN, the Association of South-East Asian Nations, a move which President Prabowo Subianto says would solidify the group's role on the world stage.
PNG first attended an ASEAN meeting as an observer as long ago as 1976, but the fact that the country is actually not in Asia has been, and continues to be, a major stumbling block to Indonesia's ambitions.
However with the Trump administration in the United States stepping back from aid and international development in the Pacific, there are major changes happening to the regional diplomatic order.
Dr Scott MacWilliam, who has a long-standing connection with Papua New Guinea, and has been researching and writing about the Pacific for more than 40 years says Indonesia has its eye on PNG for more reasons than one, and he believes that Washington has created a political vacuum which could well play into Jakarta's hands.