Foundation for Indonesia’s Advancement: Our Nation’s Potential [Indonesia’s Strategic Location]

By: Prabowo Subianto [excerpted from “National Transformation Strategy: Towards Golden Indonesia 2045,” page 145, 4th softcover edition]

In addition to being blessed with sufficient natural and human resources to become a developed country, Indonesia is also endowed with a very strategic position.

Due to our location between East Asia (China, Japan), South Asia (India), and Oceania (Australia), about 45% to 60% of the world’s maritime trade that is shipped by sea must pass through Indonesian waters.

The Strait of Malacca is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The Java, Bali, and Lombok straits are equally important as they connect East Asia and Oceania.

Nearly all global trade commodities are shipped by sea, which means our location already puts us in a strong position to become a major exporter.

We can also become an excellent maritime hub or connecting location for global sea cargo. This is what Singapore has done. We should be able to do the same. Our ports can also be great, efficient, and reliable.