Description
Indonesia, the fourth-largest country in the world by population and a substantial economic force in Southeast Asia, remains significantly underrepresented in International Political Economy (IPE) scholarship. Despite its profound impact on global and regional markets, highlighted during the 2010s commodity boom, Indonesian contributions are minimally represented in IPE literature. From over 12,470 articles published since 2000, only 51 have been authored by Indonesian-based scholars, with just a single paper featured in a leading IPE journal. This oversight extends to the broader Southeast Asian region, where Western dominance and Eurocentric analyses are prevalent. This paper addresses the neglect of Indonesian economic thought, which is deeply embedded in the nation’s anti-colonial history and guided by principles of national prosperity, international solidarity, and multilateralism. These principles offer a critique of the zero-sum perspectives common in Western and East Asian economic frameworks. By drawing upon the ideas of seminal Indonesian thinkers such as Sukarno, Hatta, and Tan Malaka, this study sheds light on Indonesia's unique contributions to IPE. This research further highlights Indonesia’s strategic responses to international trade challenges through two pivotal case studies: its resistance to the European Union’s palm oil export ban and its proactive nickel import ban to foster national industrialization. These cases illustrate a form of anti-colonial economic nationalism that seeks to reconcile national economic goals with global interdependencies, challenging traditional narratives of economic nationalism. This reevaluation not only deepens the understanding of global economic dynamics but also advocates for a more inclusive IPE narrative that integrates and values diverse geopolitical perspectives from traditionally marginalized regions. The conclusion advocates for further research to expand and enhance the understanding of Indonesia’s critical role and contributions within the international economic order.
