Indonesia broke off relations with China in 1967 and resumed them only in 1990. The author asks why. His answers shed light on Indonesia's foreign policy, the nature of the new order's domestic politics, the mixed functions of diplomatic ties, the legitimacy of the new regime, and the role of President Suharto. The book argues that the matter of Indonesia restoring diplomatic ties with China is best understood in terms of the efforts made by the military-based new order government to sustain its political legitimacy. To counter domestic challenges, it posed as the guardian of the state...

The past fifteen years have seen Indonesia move away from authoritarianism to a thriving yet imperfect democracy. During this time, the archipelago attracted international attention as the most-populated Muslim-majority country in the world. As religious issues and actors have been increasingly taken into account in the analysis and conduct of international relations, particularly since the 9/11 events, Indonesia's leaders have adapted to this new context.

Taking a socio-historical perspective, this book examines the growing role of transnational Islamic Non-State Actors (NSAs) in...