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Indonesia's presidential election has high stakes for US and China
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A street vendor pulls his cart past an election banner introducing presidential candidates, from left, Anies Baswedan and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and Ganjar Pranowo and his running mate Mahfud MD, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. When millions of Indonesians pick their new president in one of the world's biggest elections on Feb. 14, the United States and China would be closely watching who will next lead a key Asian battleground coveted for its huge market, nickel and voice. - photo by AP Photo/Dita Alangkara
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — When Indonesians cast their votes on Wednesday for a new president in one of the world’s biggest elections, the stakes will also be high for the United States and China. The Southeast Asian nation is a key battleground economically and politically in a region where the rival global powers have long been on a collision course over Taiwan, human rights, U.S. military deployments and Beijing’s aggressive actions in disputed waters, including the South China Sea. Outgoing President Joko Widodo’s foreign policy avoids criticism of Beijing and Washington but also rejects alignment with either power.