As Jakarta deepens military and coastguard cooperation while rejecting Beijing's sweeping claims, can it maintain a precarious equilibrium? Indonesia is walking a fine line between bolstering ties with Beijing and preserving its long-standing non-aligned stance.

According to Defense Ministry’s spokesperson Frega Ferdinand Wenas, both ministers discussed the possibility of striking a military technology transfer deal. Last November, Indonesia and close neighbor Australia held joint military drills after the two nations inked a treaty-level defense pact.

Indonesia and India will step up their economic and defense cooperation as the South Asian nation seeks to position itself as a counterbalance to China in the region.