Analysis Beijing has held talks with separatists from Indonesia's eastern-most province of Irian Jaya, according to a spokesman for the separatists. Franzalbert Joku, a member of the political wing of the Free Papua movement, told the Sydney Morning Herald dialogue with China was open, and that Beijing had invited a high-level delegation of separatists to China in June. While Joku said China has not yet decided whether to support the independence movement, the discussions reveal an expanding Chinese strategy in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Beijing has expanded economic and political relations steadily in the region, both to boost its regional position and to prepare for potential confrontation with the United States. A potential security implication exists in this vast area of open ocean.
China is still a long way from fielding a blue-water navy capable of countering the United States.
The burgeoning ties with Indonesian separatists represent a potentially disturbing problem for both Canberra and Washington. Indonesia's central location between the Indian Ocean, South China Sea and Pacific Ocean makes it a strategic chokepoint for trade and naval forces. Jakarta already faces a severe political crisis. The efforts in the far-flung provinces suggest attempts to go through the front door, the Indonesian capital, are failing. By courting separatist movements, Beijing gains leverage regardless of what happens in Jakarta.