RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - U.S. policies under President Donald Trump are accelerating the shift toward a new global order, according to Dino Patti Djalal, chairman and founder of the Indonesian Foreign Policy Community (FPCI).

Speaking at an FPCI public forum titled “Outlook on Geopolitical Trends & Indonesian Foreign Policy in 2026” in Jakarta on Monday, January 19, Dino said Washington’s foreign policy reflects an imperialist approach that is reshaping international relations more rapidly than expected.

“We anticipated U.S. foreign policy would be different under Trump, but we did not foresee the extent to which these policies would be carried out,” said Dino, a former Indonesian ambassador to the United States, as quoted by

He described imperialism as a strategy marked by aggressive pursuit of other nations’ territories and resources, the imposition of unequal relationships, coercion, and disregard for international law. Dino argued that such policies are now being openly applied by the United States under Trump and have even been acknowledged by the president himself.

FPCI co-founder Dewi Fortuna Anwar echoed the call for diversification, stressing that no country should be overly dependent on a single major power.

“Not long ago, we were deeply concerned about excessive reliance on China,” Dewi said, referring to Indonesia’s dependence during President Joko Widodo’s administration on Chinese investment in infrastructure, trade, and critical minerals.

She warned that even without economic coercion, a slowdown in China’s economy would directly affect Indonesia. “Overdependence on anyone is not healthy,” she added, urging the government to move beyond rhetoric and pursue genuine diversification.

Dewi also called for Indonesia to take a more active diplomatic role in Southeast Asia, emphasizing that regional resilience cannot be achieved without close cooperation among neighboring countries.

“ASEAN is Indonesia’s home, our closest environment,” she said, noting that other ASEAN members are waiting for Indonesia to provide clearer leadership, particularly on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

Dino added that one of the key challenges for President Prabowo Subianto’s administration is convincing the region that Indonesia remains committed to ASEAN.

“Like it or not, over the past year there has been growing talk that Indonesia does not prioritize ASEAN and prefers to focus on the global stage,” he said, urging Jakarta to work harder to dispel that perception. ***