Article

Limited “Strategic Assertiveness”: The Foreign Policy of the Prabowo Administration and Its Practical Dilemmas

Qianhui Tang^*

School of Politics and International Studies, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Chin

^*Correspondence: Qianhui Tang, Email: tangqianhui@mails.ccnu.edu.cn

Received: 2026-01-30Accepted: 2026-06-11

J. Int. Eco. Glo. Gov., 2026, 3(2), 27-41; https://doi.org/10.58244/jiegg.263559

Abstract:

Abstract: Against the backdrop of continuously deepening great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific and the accelerating fragmentation of the international order, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto administration has implemented a foreign policy of “strategic assertiveness” since taking office. This refers to a diplomatic posture that, while strictly adhering to the “independent and active” principle [...] Read More.

Keywords: Indonesian diplomacy; Prabowo administration; Strategic assertiveness; Practical dilemmas; Level-of-analysis approach

Keywords: Indonesian diplomacy; Prabowo administration; Strategic assertiveness; Practical dilemmas; Level-of-analysis approach

Abstract

Abstract

Against the backdrop of continuously deepening great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific and the accelerating fragmentation of the international order, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto administration has implemented a foreign policy of “strategic assertiveness” since taking office. This refers to a diplomatic posture that, while strictly adhering to the “independent and active” principle, seeks to substantively elevate Indonesia’s strategic autonomy through hands-on, high-level diplomacy, the establishment of diversified defense partnerships, and the active pioneering of global multilateral agendas. However, “strategic assertiveness” has not directly translated into a corresponding enhancement of diplomatic capacity, and the advancement of its policies faces multiple constraints in practice. Building on this, this article employs the level-of-analysis approach to systematically examine the practical dilemmas of the Prabowo administration’s strategically assertive foreign policy from both systemic and domestic dimensions. At the systemic level, factors such as the intensification of Sino-US strategic competition, the paradox of multilateral participation, and intra-ASEAN positional fragmentation continuously compress Indonesia’s strategic buffer space. At the domestic level, elements including the economy-first logic, insufficient state capacity, nationalist sentiments, and multiple identity constructions further restrict the execution space and effectiveness of its foreign policy. The study finds that while the Prabowo administration’s foreign policy has become more proactive in posture, it remains subject to structural constraints from various factors at both the systemic and domestic levels in practice. The extent of its “strategic assertiveness” is limited and struggles to translate into stable and sustainable diplomatic capacity.

Keywords: Indonesian diplomacy; Prabowo administration; Strategic assertiveness; Practical dilemmas; Level-of-analysis approach

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Funding

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