Indonesia's Strategy to Build Geopolitical Identity as a Middle Maritime Power in the Indo-Pacific Through the World Maritime Axis (PMD) Policy in the Era of the Joko Widodo Administration (2014-2019)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38035/jlph.v6i3.3119Keywords:
Global Maritime Axis, Middle Maritime Power, Indo-Pacific, Geopolitical Identity.Abstract
This study analyzes Indonesia's strategy in building a geopolitical identity as a middle maritime power in the Indo-Pacific region through the Global Maritime Fulcrum (GMF) policy during the Joko Widodo administration (2014–2019). The background of this study is based on the increasing geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific as the epicenter of great power rivalry, which demands Indonesia to strengthen its strategic position and identity as an archipelagic nation. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach based on literature studies with reference to Middle Power Theory as a theoretical framework, as well as the concepts of maritime geopolitics, the Indo-Pacific, and maritime diplomacy as conceptual frameworks. The study shows that the GAM does not only function as a maritime sector development policy, but also as a grand strategy in shaping Indonesia's identity as a middle maritime power.
References
Aufiya, M. A. (2017). Indonesia’s global maritime fulcrum: Contribution in the Indo-Pacific region. Andalas Journal of International Studies, 6(2), 143–158.
Bateman, S., & Bergin, A. (2011). New challenges for maritime security in the Indian Ocean: An Australian perspective. Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 7(1), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/19480881.2011.587335
Cooper, A. F., Higgott, R. A., & Nossal, K. R. (1993). Relocating middle powers: Australia and Canada in a changing world order. UBC Press.
Dao, Y., Yusnaldi, K., Suwarno, P., & Widodo, P. (2024). The concept of the archipelagic state in addressing maritime security threats. Formosa Journal of Social Sciences, 3(4), 939–954.
Hosoya, Y. (2019). FOIP 2.0: The evolution of Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy. Asia-Pacific Review, 26(1), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13439006.2019.1622868
Indrawati, I., & Nugroho, A. Y. (2018). Penerapan prinsip politik luar negeri Indonesia melalui diplomasi maritim. Verity: Jurnal Ilmiah Hubungan Internasional, 10(20), 14–26.
Jordaan, E. (2003). The concept of a middle power in international relations: Distinguishing between emerging and traditional middle powers. Politikon, 30(1), 165–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/0258934032000147282
Kantor Sekretariat Presiden. (2017). Laporan 3 tahun pemerintahan Jokowi–Jusuf Kalla. Kantor Sekretariat Presiden .http://ksp.go.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LAPORAN-3-TAHUN.pdf
Nurjanah, I., Perita, A. A. B., & Hendarwoto, Y. (n.d.). Safeguarding maritime critical infrastructure: Indonesia’s defense diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific security architecture under the Joko Widodo administration (2014–2024). Ejournal Yasin, 4.
Presiden Jokowi: Kerja nyata kokohkan identitas Indonesia sebagai bangsa maritim. (2021). Kementerian Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi.
Rijal, N. K. (2019). Smart maritime diplomacy: Diplomasi maritim Indonesia menuju poros maritim dunia. Jurnal Global & Strategis, 13(1), 63–78.
Samy, M., & Kusumadewi, J. A. (2021). Diplomasi pertahanan militer Indonesia dalam menghadapi ancaman keamanan non-tradisional: Upaya mewujudkan visi poros maritim dunia. Jurnal Hubungan Internasional, 14(1), 45–62.
Till, G. (2013). Seapower: A guide for the twenty-first century (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Yani, Y. M., & Montratama, I. (2015). Indonesia sebagai poros maritim dunia: Suatu tinjauan geopolitik. Jurnal Pertahanan, 5(2).
Yudilla, A. (2021). Arti penting ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific bagi visi Indonesia menjadi poros maritim dunia. Journal of Diplomacy and International Studies, 4(2), 74–85.
&&&
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rikko Yan Lado Ae, Roberto Octavianus Cornelis Seba, Indra Wisnu Wibisono

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish their manuscripts in this journal agree to the following conditions:
- The copyright on each article belongs to the author(s).
- The author acknowledges that the Journal of Law, Poliitic and Humanities (JLPH) has the right to be the first to publish with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
- Authors can submit articles separately, arrange for the non-exclusive distribution of manuscripts that have been published in this journal into other versions (e.g., sent to the author's institutional repository, publication into books, etc.), by acknowledging that the manuscript has been published for the first time in the Journal of Law, Poliitic and Humanities (JLPH).























