Mangantar Simon Hutagalung serves in the Indonesian foreign ministry. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not represent those of the ministry.
Formalized presence would only raise tensions with China and Russia

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin in June: Rather than extend its confrontation with Russia to a new region, the West should strike a balance with revisionist states. © Reuters
Mangantar Simon Hutagalung serves in the Indonesian foreign ministry. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not represent those of the ministry.