Abstract
This article surveys trends in Indonesian foreign policy. It argues that with the recent surge in economic growth at the end of the 1980s, Jakarta has charted a new phase of more active participation in regional and global affairs. Historically, Indonesian foreign policy has swung between active and passive modes of diplomacy. The latest, more active phase is in part a product of President Soehartofs own decision to enhance his global and regional stature. In doing so, he has drawn on latent nationalist sentiments that have always perceived Indonesia as a medium-sized power with activist ideals. The question this raises is how far can Indonesia assert itself on the diplomatic stage before breaking free of the self-imposed containment which has underpinned ASEAN and regional stability for the past quarter century.
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