ARMS TRANSFER DEPENDENCE AND FOREIGN POLICY IN INDO PACIFIC Curie Maharani Savitri, Ganesh A. Wicaksono, Aninda Rahmasari
International Relations Department, Faculty of Humanities, Bina Nusantara University Jakarta 11480
Abstract
The study attempts to evaluate the linkage between international arms transfer and foreign policy of 6 (six) selected countries in Indo Pacific (Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, India, and Vietnam) towards big power in the region (the United States, Russia, and China). The study will, first, clarify the evolving concept of how arms transfer and foreign policy interlace, especially in conflict prone area in which big powers as major arms exporting countries play significant role. Second, examining the practice of arms transfer and measuring the dependency index of 6 (six) Indo Pacific countries using arms transfer dependence measurement proposed by Catrina (1988) dan Kinsella (1998) across three selected milestones (2008, 2014, 2018). The international arms transfer is examined through procurement of 9 (nine) major conventional arms category in accordance with UNROCA system, using IISS Military Balance and SIPRI Arms Transfer Database as the main references. Foreign policy is examined through each state^s foreign policy strategy papers and statements. This study found that foreign policy changes do not always correlate with pattern of arms transfer dependence. Country with balancing policy shows firm dependence on the US arms transfer, whereas country with bandwagoning policy shows the reverse. Lastly, country with hedging policy shows variation: first, preference to internal balancing through reliance to domestic arms production as in the case of India- second, preference to further diversify its source of arms as in the case of Indonesia.
