Sitting in the Indian and Pacific Oceans axis, Southeast Asia witnesses billions of dollars worth of goods pass through its waters as the region is becoming more mature in economics, trade, investment, innovation, production, and geopolitical position in the global chessboard. Given its strategic place, countries in the region are responsible for managing the region’s stability and balance in Southeast Asia.

Since the announcement of the Outlook in 2019, people are wondering “what is the next step of ASEAN and Indonesia’s (as the initiator) strategy on Indo-Pacific?” Today, countries such as Germany, UK, France, and Canada are developing their own Indo-Pacific strategy and outlook. The QUAD (The US, Japan, Australia, and India) is getting more align with their first leaders’ summit. How does the AOIP accommodate the multipolar world and geopolitical competition? What is the projection of AOIP in the view of ASEAN and Indonesia? How does Indonesia utilize AOIP? What kind of initiatives has been done or currently in the pipeline since its announcement?

Earlier this month, an unidentified underwater drone found in the Selayar Waters of South Sulawesi captured the attention of Indonesian media. The occasion was the third occurrence that a foreign drone, also known as a ‘sea glider,’ was found in the nation’s waters. Needless to say, the discovery triggered a country-wide public furious and strong backlash from the Indonesian parliament members – especially upon heightened suspicion of the drone’s origin.

The world is being overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic along with its adverse impacts. Yet, the pandemic also not halted any geopolitical tension and rather to heat the situation. Now, countries around the globe are coping with economic and health crises simultaneously. In this time of hardships, ASEAN as a regional bloc has to cooperate and address the crisis together.

I think it is a bit too early for us to talk about the post-COVID-19 world as we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. And there is no clear sign when the pandemic could end. The number of those who are affected all over the world continues to increase. As of today, the latest record shows there are 26.3 million confirmed cases and 868.000 deaths. All countries in the world are affected by this pandemic without exception. There are countries which are badly affected, some are less, all with a different degree of effectiveness in mitigating this pandemic.

On the 1st of July, Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and the 2024 Structure Plan. Prime Minister Morrison highlighted the changing Indo-Pacific strategic environment that has become more challenging and less benign, creating a new environment that requires an adjustment in Australia’s strategic thinking and future plans. The strategic update and structure plan sees the importance of building Australian maritime power and deterrence capability, certainly creating a projection that will make Australia’s defence capacity more independent and self-reliant.