US-Led Military Drills in Indonesia: A Strategic Front Against China’s Expansionism

Every year since 2009, the United States and Indonesia have united forces in a show of military strength known as Super Garuda Shield. But this annual exercise has taken on new urgency amid China’s aggressive expansion in the Indo-Pacific region—an expansion that threatens American interests and global stability.This year’s drills, hosted by the Indonesian National Armed Forces and including forces from over a dozen countries like Australia, Japan, and the UK, represent more than routine training. They are a collective statement against attempts to rewrite regional facts on the ground through force. As Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific...