How can an underdeveloped country like Indonesia draw on outside resources for its national development without sacrificing its independence? Approaching the problem from the vantage point of the Indonesian elite, this important work explores the complex interactions between domestic political factors and the shaping of foreign policy. To illustrate the ways in which underdevelopment has affected Indonesia's international participation, Professor Weinstein presents a graphic picture of what Indonesia's leaders see when they view the outside world, and he systematically seeks out the sources of their perceptions. He shows that most of the elite see the international system as dominated by exploitative powers that cannot be relied on to assist Indonesia's development. He examines the relationship between perceptions and politics under both Sukarno and Soeharto and offers an illuminating comparison of the bases of foreign policy under each leader, revealing dramatic changes and surprising continuities. His cogent analysis helps to explain the sharp reversal of policy in 1966, and his conclusions form a convincing hypothesis that can be tested in other Third World countries. This book, now brought back to life as a member of Equinox Publishing's Classic Indonesia series, will attract specialists in Southeast Asia, as well as readers with a broader interest in the politics and economics of underdeveloped countries. FRANKLIN B. WEINSTEIN was Director of the Project on United States-Japan Relations at Stanford University, where he also taught in the Department of Political Science. A graduate of Yale University, he received his PhD from Cornell University.

Annotation. This book explores the position of Islam as one of the domestic political variables in Indonesia's foreign policy during the Soeharto era. It argues that the foreign policy of Indonesia toward the Muslim world under Soeharto was increasingly the result of political struggles between domestic actors, particularly the Muslim community and the State.

"Using the frameworks of foreign policy analysis and political culture, this book provides an insightful and analytical explanation of Indonesia's foreign policy under Suharto. It examines the various factors which have contributed to Suharto's foreign policy, the goals of this policy and the means of achieving them. It also discusses Indonesia's relations with Asian countries and beyond, identifying their problems and prospects. As Suharto has played a crucial role in directing the policy, special attention has been focused on him. Despite many differences from the Sukarno era, Indonesia's aspiration to international leadership under Suharto remains constant. This is the most up-to-date book dealing with Indonesia's foreign policy under Suharto."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This book responds to the critical need of policymakers, practitioners, and scholars for current research on Indonesia.